AMERICAN INTERVENTION: PROPPING UP THE KHMER ROUGE

Abstract

The thesis examined American intervention in Cambodian from 1979 to 1993. It asked the question, ‘did America support the Khmer Rouge (KR) in order to counter the Vietnamese?’. The thesis will argue that the U.S. did support the Pol Pot regime in order to counter Vietnamese influence, and that a change in policy only occurred after the peace agreement of 1991. Each chapter outlined the key policies adopted by the administration, how the policies benefitted the KR, and examined if the U.S. intentionally aided the KR. Chapter One examined the Carter administration from 1979 to 1980. It argued that the administration provided border aid and diplomatic support to the KR, allowing them to survive Vietnam’s attack. The U.S. utilised allies such as China and Thailand to provide aid to the KR in order to avoid commitment to the region. The Carter administration intentionally supported the KR as a geopolitical tool to wield against Vietnam. Chapter Two examined the Reagan administration from 1981 to 1988. It argued that the administration provided aid to the NCR and continued diplomatic support for the KR. The aid provided helped Pol Pot’s forces maintain their position as the strongest military force in Cambodia while diplomatic support helped the KR hold on to their UN seat. Reagan intentionally supported the KR as a tool against Soviet-backed Vietnam. Chapter Three examined the Bush administration and beyond, from 1989 to 1993. It argued that the administration continued aid to the NCR and provided diplomatic support to the KR. Aid to the NCR benefitted the KR while diplomatic support ensured their inclusion in Cambodia’s political settlement and hence, its political future. Bush intentionally supported the inclusion of the Khmer Rouge to counter the PRK. After the peace agreement, KR disruption led to American support for policies undermining their influence.