Cambodian Flag History

Last modified: 2008-12-13 by phil nelson

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• Flag History
• Additional Information
• Flags depicted as used in the Cambodian Civil War (1978-1982)
o Kampuchean National United Front for National Salvation
(KNUFNS)

See also:

• Kingdom of Cambodia
• Cambodia
• Khmer Rouge (Cambodia)
• Cambodia - Japanese occupation of World War II
• Bibliography on Cambodian flags

Flag History
This presentation is mainly based on an article in Flag Bulletin [tfb] (No.
133, p. 3-15; title: "New flags - State of Cambodia"; author: presumably
Whitney Smith [smi90]). Further sources: Flaggenbuch [neu39], Die
Zeichen der Menschen und V�lker: Unsere Welt in Fahnen und Flaggen
and Lexikon Flaggen und Wappen [smi75d]. Especially difficult are, of
course, the political circumstances leading to the fact, that at certain
times (at least) three flags of different governments and counter-
governments had been used to represent Cambodia.

Flag during French Protecdtorate, 1863-1948

ca. 1863-1948 (Kingdom of Cambodia
under French protection): The first
Cambodian flag probably came into
existence around 1863 and was used,
with only variations, until 1948. It was
a red field with a blue border and a
white representation of Angkor Wat in
the center. The image is based on the
image in Flaggenbuch; a different
variant is shown in the Flag Bulletin
article: the Angkor Wat is drawn like in
the current flag.
image by P. Mattew
adapted by Marcus Schm�ger
Kingdom of Cambodia, 1948-1970
image by P. Mattew and Eugene Ipavec,
8 October 1996
1958 Chief of Naval Staff
image by Antonio Martins
Khmer Republic, 1970-1975
On 20 October 1948 a new flag
was adopted, namely a
horizontal triband (1+2+1) of
red, blue and red with the
Angkor Wat in white in the
centre. The Angkor Wat is
usually shown outlined in red
(Flags Through the Ages and
Across the World). This is
basically the flag in use again
now This flag was used until
Norodom Sihanouk was
overthrown in 1970. However, it
was used after that in exile and
in parts of the country under the
control of Sihanouk troops.
According to the Flag Bulletin
article it also appeared for a
short time again at the UN
headquarters from about April
1975 to January 1976. It was
reestablished in Cambodia itself
30 June 1993.
 Lon Nol overthrew Sihanouk in
1970 and on 9 October 1970 a
new flag was introduced. It
showed a blue field with a red
canton; in the canton a white
representation of Angkor Wat
(three towers), in the upper fly
corner three white stars. This flag
was used until April 1975.
Obviously this had not been used
afterwards in exile or by anti-
government forces.
image by P. Mathew
adapted by Marcus Schm�ger In April 1975 the Khmer Rouge
forces had established control of
most of Cambodia, including the
capital Phnom Penh. For a while
Norodom Sihanouk acted as a
puppet head-of-state of the
"Democratic Kampuchea". At
least at the UN the 1948-1970
flag was reestablished until
January 1976. Inside the country
plain red flags seem to have been
used (according to Flag Bulletin
article).
Democratic Kampuchea, 1975-1979
In January 1976 the new
constitution of "Democratic
Kampuchea" established a new
flag. It was a red field with a
three-towered yellow
representation of Angkor Wat;
however, this was much stylized
and only called "monument", not
"Angkor Wat" in the constitution.
This flag was used until January
1979, when the Khmer Rouge
government was deposed.
image by Željko Heimer However, it continued to be in use
in the parts of the country, where
Khmer Rouge forces waved a
guerilla war against the
government. Furthermore, as the
"Democratic Kampuchea"
government was the
internationally recognized
government, it was also used
abroad, e.g. at UN headquarters,
until 1991. It is unclear to me,
however, when this flag had been

People's Republic of Kampuchea, 1979-1989
image by Marcus Schm�ger
State of Cambodia, 1989-1991
image by Marcus Schm�ger
1991-1993 (UN administration)
used for the first time. It was
definitely not a new invention in
1976, but had been used
previously by the Khmer Rouge. It
was used in Germany during
demonstrations against the war in
Vietnam and Cambodia (17 March
1973 and 29 April 1973). The
demonstrators were members of
the Maoist KPD, that also
displayed Pathet Lao and
Vietcong flags (Rote Fahne Vol. 4,
iss. 12, p. 1 and vol. 4, iss. 18, p.
3).
In December 1978 a Khmer Rouge
dissident faction (under Heng
Samrin and Hun Sen) invaded
Cambodia together with
Vietnamese troops, and deposed
the Khmer Rouge government in
Phnom Penh in January 1979. The
new People's Republic of
Kampuchea introduced a flag
based on the 1976-1979 flag, but
having five towers instead of
three. This flag was used until
1989 in the country, but was not
recognized internationally (e.g. at
the UN).
On 1 May 1989 a new flag was
introduced, together with an
alteration of the name to "State of
Cambodia" and a new
constitution. The new flag was a
bicolour of red over blue, showing
a yellow representation of Angkor
Wat (five towers) in the centre;
the flag Bulletin article and
[heh90] show the Angkor Wat
very detailed (similar to the 1948-
1970 flag) and not stylized as in
the 1979-1989 flag. The stylized
version might have been in
existence, though.
 Under the UN administration
(UNTAC = United Nations
Transitional Authority in
Cambodia) Cambodia used a
UN blue flag with a white
map of the country in the
centre (and the blue
inscription of the country's
name). However, I'm not sure
when this flag was
introduced. The claim that it
was from 24 June 1991
image by Mario Fabretto seems a bit early to me. The
most important steps to
peace in Cambodia happened
only in October 1991 (peace
treaty in Paris; decision of UN
security council to send UN
peace forces).
Kingdom of Cambodia, 1993-
On 30 June 1993 the old 1948-
1970 flag has been
reestablished as the flag of
Cambodia. However, obviously
the Angkor Wat is now usually
outlined black, not red.

Marcus Schm�ger, 9
November, 2001

image by P. Mattew and Eugene Ipavec, 8

October 1996

Additional Information
I have only two comments:

1. The exile government of Democratic Kampuchea changed its flag from

the Khmer Rouge one to the royal flag (Blue-Red-Blue, White Ankgor Vat
with 3 towers) in 1990 (spring? I'm not sure as concerns the date).

2. The flag of the State of Cambodia (Red-Blue, Yellow Angkor Vat with 5
towers) was used in 1991-1993 period as well, together with the UN
administration flag. During the first visit of Norodom Sihanouk to Phnom
Penh, both flags were visible.
Jan Zrzavy, 9 November 2001
The first protection treaty was signed on 11 August 1863. A second treaty,
more drastic, was signed on 17 June 1884. There was an uprising in 1885,
and administrative and financial reforms were implemented in 1904. The
territory of Cambodia was enlarged in 1904 (provinces of Meloupre and
Tonle-Repou) and 1907 (provinces of Siemreap, Battambang, and
Sisophon). These provinces were given back by the kingdom of Siam,
whose expansionism in Cambodia had given a 'legitimate' motive to
France for establishing the protection regime. In the early 30's, the area of
Cambodia was 175.000 sq.. km. The country was inhabited by 2.402.000
Cambodians and 1.270 French. The kingdom was divided into 14
provinces, each of them being administrated by a French resident.

Cambodia was part of Union Indochinoise, the Gouvernement G�n�ral of

Indochina established by decree of 17 October 1887. The powers of the
Gouverneur G�n�ral were prescribed by the decree of 20 October 1911.
Other members of the Union were the colony of Cochinchina, the
protectorates of Annam, Laos and Tonkin, and the territory of Kouang-
tcheou-wan (Guangzhouwan).

Source: Grand Larousse Illustr� du XXe si�cle (1932).

The flag shown in the same source is close to the flag shown in
Flaggenbuch, but with a black border and a smaller temple, whose design
is more stylized (the image is small, so several details might have been
simplified or deleted).

After Second World War, French Indochina was administrated by a High-

Commissioner and progressively dissolved (1946-1954). Cambodia
received limited independence on 8 November 1947. Its complete
independence, signed on 9 July 1953, was confirmed by the Geneva
agreements (July 1954), which ended the French presence in Indochina.
Cambodia was member of Union Francaise but left it in 1955.
Ivan Sache, 9 November 2001

Jaume Oll� has written me saying this was the flag adopted by Cambodia
on 1st May 1989, as a result of the new Constitution approved 29th-30th
April 1989 by the National Assembly. The flag was based on that of the
FUNSK (the pro-Vietnamese guerrilla) and on that of the Vietcong
(identical to that of the 1973-1975 Republic of South Vietnam).
Santiago Dotor, 8 November 2001

Flags depicted as used in the Cambodian

Civil War (1978-1982)
In December 1978 a Khmer Rouge dissident faction (under Heng Samrin
After the alleys of the USA (Gen. Lon Nol) had been defeated, the effective
rule of the Khmer Rouge movement began in 1975.
Meanwhile the Vietnamese neighbours tried to re-establish Indochina
under their own leadership. The installed special relations with Laos and
tried to do the same with Cambodia. Cambodian government under Pol Pot
and his Khmer Rouge however refused and Vietnam was told, that 뱊 ormal
relations� would be sufficient.

This answer was considered to be an offensive and so in 1978 Cambodia

suffered under a new civil war. Heng Samrin had established the 밙
ampuchean National United Front for National Salvation� (KNUFNS) and
invaded the country, supported by Vietnamese troops. Heng was said
having been a high cadre of Khmer Rouge itself and having been secretary
of the XX.District. But no one knew exactly.

Playing this game, Pol was backed by the Peoples Republic of China, the
KNUFNS by Soviet-Russia. Having expelled the US both communist powers
tried to strengthen their own influence.

Though having committed serious crimes, the government of Pol (CM:

Khieu Samphan) remained being recognized by the UN as the 뱋 fficial
representative of the people of Cambodia�. The Khmer Rouge never had
been defeated totally but they joined a coalition under Prince Sihanouk on
22 June 1982.

Both factions used red flags with a yellow of the temple of Angkor in its
centre The Khmer-rouge government of "Democratic Kampuchea" used a
variant with three towers, the KNUFSN with five towers, both obviously
inspired by the flags of Peoples Republic of China and the Soviet-Union.

Kampuchean National United Front for National Salvation

(KNUFNS)

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 August 2008

A red flag with five yellow towers in its centre of different height. The
central tower is the longest.

Source: Its difficult to give source here. Fischer Weltalmanach, a German

annual, mentions in its 1983 edition (which is usually completed in
September of the previous year) in column 377, the first time a description
of the KNUFNS-flag.
The description is 밶 red field with a 5-towered yellow temple (Angkor)�.
That is not the same like �5 towers�. My images point out a distinction of
the 3-tower-flag with basement and the 5-tower-flag without basement. I
probably redrew both flags from an image. It might be possible, that I used
the depiction from Hvam? Hvar? Hvad? (is probably What? Who? When?),
a Norwegian annual edited by a newspaper, which had a new flagchart
every year.

Another contradiction is shown as the image was captioned 밪 R

Kambodscha� for 뱒 ocialist republic�. But there has never been any 뱒
ocialist republic� but only a 뱎 eoples republic� instead.

Democratic Kampuchea

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 August 2008

A yellow flag with a surrounding red edge and a dark pinkish image of the
temple of Angkor having three towers.

Source: Schlag nach!, 11th edition, Mannheim, Wien, Z�rich 1976, ISBN
3-411-01198-X, flagchart II after p.384. The flag is captioned
"Kambodscha". As it shows three towers and it is 1976, it should be a flag
of "Democratic Kampuchea". For me however it is even more unbelievable
then the flag for KNUFNS above.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 August 2008

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