Cambodia-Laos Relations

As neighboring nations, Laos and Cambodia have passed through many difficult phases in their relations. Territorial acquisition in the historical period, a shared 535-kilometer border, and similar experiences at the hands of the French and the United States have affected relations between the two nations. Ethnic Lao are found in Rotanak Kiri, Preah Vihear, and Banteay Meanchey Provinces in Cambodia, and Khmer live in Champassak and Attapeu Provinces in Laos.

The political and cultural interactions between the two countries were shaped by expanding kingdoms in ancient and medieval times, as the Khmer ruins at Wat Pho and in southern Laos suggest. Cambodian kingdoms such as Funan, Chenla, and Angkor controlled parts of Laos, and some Khmer Brahmanical and Buddhist elements penetrated into Laos. The Indianized state of Funan began to disintegrate in the middle of the sixth century. Chenla, its vassal state, had its capital at Sresthapura in southern Laos. The central and upper regions of Laos were occupied by Chenla ruler Jayavarman I (reigned 657–681). Jayavarman II (c. 770–850), the ruler of Angkor, even had built a hospital at Sai Fong.

Laos was unified after the Lao prince Fa Ngum rose to power in 1353. He established the state of Lan Xang (million elephants) in 1353 with the help of Angkor king Jayavarman Paramesvara, and his kingdom extended from Sipsong Panna in the upper Mekong to northern Cambodia. Fa Ngum's queen, Jayavarman's daughter, was responsible for converting the people to Theravada Buddhism, and Fa Ngum received from his father-inlaw a gold statue of the Buddha, Pali scriptures, and a mission of monks under Phra Mahapasaman. The statue, called Prabang, was installed at Fa Ngum's capital, which was renamed Luang Prabang.

The next important stage in Lao-Cambodian relations was set when the three Indochinese nations (Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam) came under French colonial rule. Laos became a French protectorate in 1893, the Indochinese Union was created in 1907, and the fates of the Indochinese nations were linked as a French colony. Vietnam, the most powerful of the three, held the dominant position. Outsiders such as the French, Chinese, and even Vietnamese exercised control over the two other countries' administration and economy, and the concept of an Indochinese federation was frequently raised. At the Treaty of Versailles at the end of World War I, Ho Chi Minh (1890–1969), the Vietnamese revolutionary, pleaded for self-determination for the Indochinese people.

Strains of nationalism developed in the three countries, with different intensity and ideologies, but a Communist-led nationalism was common to all. The French reestablished control of Indochina after World War II, leading to the First Indochina War (1946–1954), in which Vietnam's Viet Minh, Cambodia's Khmer Issark, and Laos's Pathet Lao fought against the French. On 1 March 1951, a Viet-Khmer-Lao alliance was formed with the goal of defeating the colonial masters and achieving real independence.

After the Geneva Conference of 1954, Laos and Cambodia went their separate ways, but their destinies again became closely intertwined in 1960s. Cambodia was a party to the Geneva Accords of 1962, which dealt with the fate of Laos. Cambodia's Prince Norodom Sihanouk (b.1922) was in favor of a neutral Laos and made efforts to end its civil war.

With the escalation of the conflict between the United States and North Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia became increasingly involved in the Vietnam War. The Ho Chi Minh Trail—a supply route from North to South Vietnam that the United States wanted to cut—passed through both countries. Hanoi's primary aim was unification of both Vietnams.

In Cambodia, the coup by General Lon Nol (1913–1985) on 18 March 1970 added a new dimension to the turmoil. On April 21, the United Indochinese Front was established. The summit conference was attended by Pham Van Dong representing North Vietnam, Norodom Sihanouk as head of the National United Front of Cambodia, Souphanouvong (1909–1995) from the Pathet Lao, and Nguyen Huu Tho, representing the provisional government of South Vietnam. The delegates pleaded for solidarity among peoples of Indochina.

The Communists strengthened their position in the border regions of Laos, South Vietnam, and Cambodia while at the same time there was increasing cooperation between General Lon Nol and the rightist leaders in Laos. It was even suggested that a defensive alliance of South Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos be created to combat the Communists. The Communist Pathet Lao and Khmer Rouge were increasing their hold on Laos and Cambodia, respectively, however, and with the departure of the last American troops from Vietnam and the fall of Saigon in 1975, the whole of Indochina became Communist.

Peace in Indochina proved elusive, however, and the former comrades soon went to war again. Vietnam invaded Cambodia in December 1977 to overthrow the brutal regime of Pol Pot, who rejected Souphanouvong's peace initiative. Laos signed a friendship treaty with Vietnam in July 1977, but relations between Cambodia and Vietnam were deteriorating. The Vietnamese attack on Cambodia in December 1978 and the Chinese attack on Vietnam in February 1979 changed the scenario, and Laos and Cambodia's relations cooled. Laos dispatched a token number of troops to Cambodia to help the Vietnamese. After the installation of the Heng Samrin regime in Cambodia, the two countries again became close and signed a cooperation agreement in March 1979. The Indochinese Federation and United Resistance (1979–1984) targeted China as the main enemy, and Vietnam's hegemony over Indochina was again established.

The Indochinese states have been moving towards reconciliation and greater regional cooperation, with "market economy" as their new mantra. Laos and Cambodia have begun multilateral cooperation through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Mekong River Commission. They are also cooperating in tourism, fisheries, wildlife, national biodiversity conservation, and the preservation of historic sites. As a sign of this improved relationship, a boundary demarcation project was launched in February 2001, and Laos and Cambodia can again look to the future with renewed hope.

Mishra, Patit Paban. (1999) A Contemporary History of Laos. New Delhi: National Book Organization.

Stuart-Fox, Martin. (1997) A History of Laos. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press.

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