On the 23rd day of March 1970, 5 days after his dismissal on March 18, and a visit by North Vietnamese Premier, Prince Sihanouk made a radio broadcast from Peking asking for a call to arms and announce the formation of a United Front to fight against the Lon Nol Army. It is a turning point that changed the course of the Khmer History with the call to foreign power for help.
The FUNK french acronym of the Khmer National United Front would include the Khmer Rouge (local Khmer Communists), the Khmer Vietminh (Khmer Communists trained and supported by the North Vietnamese), and the Prince Supporters. The FUNK was back up by the NVN and the NLF Army.
The Lon Nol Army was called on the US to have the assistance of their Special Forces or Mike Forces, special units composed of the elements recruited in the Khmer Krom communities in Kampuchea Krom. With their bombardments along the borders, the US expand their operations, and the Vietnam War was overspilled to Cambodia she was forced to defend themselves against the Vietnamese communists. Unfortunately it is too bad that Cambodia entered a war that the US was in the phase of disengagement and their assistance to Cambodia was limited.
With less manpower and poorly trained and armed, the Lon Nol Army was doomed to loose, and the winner is not Prince Sihanouk, but it was the Khmer Rouge. It is the story of the Killing Fields...
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