Foreign policy of Kampuchea

Kampuchea has historically been a buffer between Thailand and Vietnam and strategically important because of its deep sea port of Kampong Son and Its common border with Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. This study examines Kampuchean foreign policy from 1954 to 1984. It analyses the genesis of Noredom Sihanouk's quest for neutrality to preserve the territorial integrity and independence of his country in the context of Great Power rivalry, the hostility of its traditiona! enemies -Thailand and Vietnam-and the Vietnam War.

This book discusses Sihanouk's downfall in 1970, the defeat of the US-backed Lon Nol regime in 1975 by the Khmer Rouge forces under Pol Pot, fighting in alliance with Sihanouk and enjoying the support of China and Vietnam. It deals with the markedly pro-China and anti-Vietnam foreign policy of the Pol Pot Government, which was overthrown by the Vietnamese-supported Heng Samrin regime in January 1979. It highlights the implications of the presence of about 200,000 Vietnamese troops in Kampuchea, which is the main impediment in the regime's efforts to get its legitimacy recognized at the United Nations or among the non-aligned countries. This volume examines Chinese support for the Khmer Rouge resistance, and ASEAN'S fears of a united Indochina dominated by a pro-Soviet Vietnam and their insistence on an international solution of the Kampuchean problem as opposed to the preference of the Indochina states for a regional conference to solve the issue. The book stresses the impact of

Sino-Soviet rivalry and Sino-Vietnamese confrontation for peace and stability in the region. This study is essential for understanding the intricacies of the present-day problems in Southeast Asia.