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Cease Fire – 1992

The cessation of hostilities did not hold. On February 28, 1992, the UN Security Council passed a resolution that strongly urged the “Cambodian parties to agree to the complete demobilization of their military forces prior to the end of the process of registration of the elections as well as to the destruction of the weapons and ammunitions deposied (sic) into the Authoriy’s custody in excess of those, if any, which may be deemed necessary by the Authority for the maintenance of civil order and national defense, or which may be required by the new Cambodian Government” (United Nations, 1992).¹

On May 9, 1992, the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) announced phase II of the ceasefire – the cantonment, disarming, and demobilization phase. UNTAC did not receive cooperation from PDK.²

“In June, the Khmer Rouge refused to disarm or allow UN peacekeeping troops on the territory they controlled. KR argued that they did not want to disarm because there still were Vietnamese forces in the country. In mid-July the KR seized six villages and attacked UN helicopters. The UN Security Council at several occasions (S/RES/766 in July, S/RES/783 in October) demanded that KR comply with phase II of the Paris Agreement. On November 30th, the Security Council adopted resolution S/RES/792 imposing a trade embargo on areas under KR control. On 2 December six UN soldiers were held capture for two days by KR accused of spying” (The New York Times, 1992).³

Using quotes from the Voice of the People of Cambodia, the BBC reported that ”between 23rd October 1991 and 23rd October 1992, the Khmer Rouge launched 244 shellings and 124 attacks on SOC (State of Cambodia) positions” (BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, 1992). The breaches ”resulted in 79 people and a Buddhist monk being killed and 140 others wounded” (BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, 1992). “The radio also reported that, according to sources at the SOC’s military coordination committee with the United Nations, the Khmer Rouge recently engaged in activities that violated the SOC sovereignty through their troopsÕ infiltration of zones under SOC control.”⁴

1. “Resolution 745 (1992),” UN Security Council (S/RES/745), February 28, 1992, par. 8.
2. “SECOND PHASE OF CEASEFIRE, MAY – NOVEMBER 1992,” Cambodia-UNTAC Background, accessed July 19, 2010, http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/past/untacbackgr2.html#two.
3. “Khmer Rouge Frees 6 U.N. Soldiers in Cambodia,” The New York Times, December 5, 1992.
4. “Khmer Rouge Ceasefire Violations Reported,” BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, October 31, 1992.