Royal Cambodian Armed Forces

The Royal Khmer Armed Forces (Forces armées royales khmères, or FARK) was established on 9 November 1953 under a Franco-Khmer convention. This contributed to the end of the French colony and protectorate, and Cambodia obtained its own military organisation. FARK's roles were to guarantee the sovereignty of the nation and the king; to ensure security, social order and the respect of law, and to defend the kingdom of Cambodia. With 50,000 troops, FARK was organised at battalion level under the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces (the head of state). At this early stage of the nation, its armed forces were often armed with little more than wooden rifles to fool aggressive Việt Minh forces. This forced King Norodom Sihanouk to sign border-treaty agreements with Vietnam which were unfavorable to Cambodia, resulting in the loss of much territory.

The military situation changed dramatically after the March 1970 coup d'état. Under the Khmer Republic regime, FARK was renamed the Khmer National Armed Forces (Forces armées nationales khmères, or FANK). FANK was expanded to 200,000 military personnel, organized in brigades and divisions, in response to a state of emergency during the Cambodian Civil War; all armed forces were commanded by the president. When facing the NVA, Viet Cong or Khmer Rouge, FANK operated at full strength and was often victorious. Prince Norodom Sihanouk broadcast radio propaganda, urging listeners to go to the jungle and join the communists to fight the FANK forces. Some corrupt FANK commanders who were royalist supporters sold their weapons and intelligence to the opposition Khmer Rouge. Many FANK commanders, such as Norodom Chantaraingsey, were at the front lines launching operations against the communist forces. The United States Congress lost confidence in FANK in late 1973, halting military aid due to corruption.

After the downfall of the Khmer Republic in April 1975, the Khmers Rouge régime established the Revolutionary Army of Kampuchea (RAK). The army was composed of Khmer Rouge soldiers and defectors from Lon Nol's FANK. Defectors who joined the Khmer Rouge were never fully trusted by the original Khmer Rouge. They were later purged by Pol Pot, when thousands of Khmer Rouge soldiers and officers were ordered killed by the Khmer Rouge leadership. Like the other forces, the RAK was organised to the division level and commanded by Chiefs of the General Staff Son Sen and Ta Mok. The RAK's 375,000-person, fully armed force was supplied by China and several Eastern bloc countries. When Democratic Kampuchea invaded Kampuchea Krom in southern Vietnam (known as Prey Nokor when it was Cambodian territory before 1949), the Vietnamese forces were caught off-guard and their double agents in the Khmer Rouge proved valuable. The double agents were later learned to have become members of the Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Armed Forces (KPRAF), the armed forces of the People's Republic of Kampuchea.

Aircraft fin flash of the People's Republic of Kampuchea (1979–1989)

After the intervention of the Vietnamese forces in January 1979 (resulting in the collapse of the Khmer Rouge regime, the Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Armed Forces (KPRAF) was formed. It changed its name to the Cambodian People's Armed Forces (CPAF) of the Phnom Penh government when it was rebuilt, and evolved from battalions to divisions.

Anti-Vietnamese movements formed along the Cambodian-Thai border. In addition to the remaining National Army of Democratic Kampuchea (NADK), two other non-communist resistance forces – the Khmer People's National Liberation Armed Forces (KPNLAF) and the Armées Nationale pour Khmer Independent (ANKI, previously the Armées Nationale Sihanoukist or ANS) – were established. The military evolution of the latter two movements was similar: from small, armed groups to divisions.

Because of the Cold War and the interference of global powers, Cambodia found itself insecure since the 1970s. This was only partially resolved with the October 1991 Paris Peace Agreements, because the KPRAF still dominated three resistance groups: the Khmer Rouge, the KPNLF, and the ANKI.

The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces was re-established in 1993 after the democratic election of a government consisting of two prime ministers. The armed forces of all parties except the NADK were integrated into a national armed force; the NADK joined in 1998, after Pol Pot's death. The KPRAF dominated the three integrated guerrilla groups, with ANKI and the Khmer Rouge commanders later replaced by those loyal to the KPRAF.

To resolve security problems, the government began a win-win policy in mid-1995 of national reconciliation and unity efforts under the king. Defections of NADK units began in early 1996. The win-win policy of Prime Minister Hun Sen continued to succeed as the last groups of Khmer Rouge guerrillas were integrated into the RCAF in late 1998; this marked the dissolution of the Khmer Rouge's political and military organisation and the return of all seceded areas to government control.

The RCAF undergoes reforms in accordance with governmental guidelines which direct the armed forces to demobilize to an acceptable size, achieve capability and inculcate standards of ethics and dignity, with future advancement towards international standardization. Its agenda includes regional security co-operation.[8]

The Royal Gendarmerie of Cambodia, a paramilitary unit with 10,000 soldiers deployed in all provinces, is headquartered in Phnom Penh. The unit's chain of command is through the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces High Command, and it is commanded by Lt-General Sao Sokha. Sokha was one of the commanders who defeated FUNCINPEC forces during the July 1997 coup. [9]