Khmer republic

In The 1970 Cambodian putsch refers to the removal of the Cambodian Head of State, Prince Norodom Sihanouk, after a vote in the National Assembly on 18 March 1970. Emergency powers were subsequently invoked by the Prime Minister Lon Nol, who became effective head of state, and led ultimately to the proclamation of the Khmer Republic later that year.

It also marked the point at which Cambodia became substantially involved in the Vietnam War, as Lon Nol issued an ultimatum to North Vietnamese forces to leave Cambodia.

Putsch

In March 1970, Sihanouk's prime minister, Lon Nol, conspired against Sihanouk as a protest to the presence of Viet Cong forces in Cambodia. While Sihanouk was abroad, Lon Nol and Prince Sirik Matak led a coup against Sihanouk and succeeded in throwing him from power. Lon Nol took control and realigned the country with the United States. In October Cambodia declared itself the Khmer Republic.

However, Communist forces within Cambodia were increasing. Initially the forces received tremendous aid from North Vietnam. By 1973, however, the Communist Party of Kampuchea were fighting within Cambodia with little or no support. On New Year's Day of 1975 the Communist forces launched their final attack and by April 17th the administration under Lon Nol had surrendered. Khmer Rouge forces marched successfully into the Cambodian capital, Phnom Phen.

Racist Ideology

After fighting broke out with Vietnam (then united under the Communists) in 1977, DK’s ideology became openly racist. Ethnic minorities in Cambodia, including ethnic Chinese and Vietnamese, were hunted down and expelled or massacred. People in eastern Cambodia, suspected of cooperating with Vietnam, suffered severely, and hundreds of thousands of them were killed. While in power, the Khmer Rouge murdered, worked to death, or killed by starvation close to 1.7 million Cambodians—more than one-fifth of the country’s population.