K5 Plan

Part of a series on the
History of Cambodia
Early history
Funan Chenla Khmer Empire Angkor Khmer–Cham wars Đại Việt–Khmer War
Post-Angkor Period
Chaktomuk era Longvek era Siamese-Cambodian War Cambodian–Spanish War Cambodian–Dutch War Oudong era Loss of Mekong Delta Nguyễn Kingdom's invasion
Colonial period
French protectorate French Indochina Japanese occupation (Cambodia in 1945)
Independence and conflict
Post-independence US bombing Sihanouk Trail Cambodian campaign 1970 coup Khmer Republic US bombing Cambodian Civil War Fall of Phnom Penh Democratic Kampuchea Mayaguez incident Cambodian genocide Cambodian–Vietnamese War People's Republic of Kampuchea exiled coalition government K5 Plan
Peace process
1991 Paris Peace Agreements United Nations Transitional Authority (UNTAC, 1992–93) 1993 election
Modern Cambodia
Economy 1997 coup Khmer Rouge Tribunal 2003 Phnom Penh riots Cambodian–Thai border dispute 2013–2014 protests COVID-19 pandemic
By topic
Buddhism Economic history Humanitarian crisis Military history Monarchy Names
Timeline
Cambodia portal
v t e

The K5 Plan (

After the defeat of Democratic Kampuchea in 1979, the Khmer Rouge fled Cambodia quickly. Protected by the Thai state, and with powerful foreign connections, Pol Pot's virtually intact militia of about 30,000 to 35,000 troops regrouped and reorganized in forested and mountainous zones behind the Thai-Cambodian border. During the early 1980s Khmer Rouge forces showed their strength in Thailand, inside the refugee camps near the border, and were able to receive a steady and abundant supply of military equipment. The weapons came mainly from China and the US and were channeled across Thailand with the cooperation of the Royal Thai Armed Forces.^[3]

From their position of security in hidden military outposts along the Thai border, the Khmer Rouge militias launched a relentless military campaign against the newly established People's Republic of Kampuchea state. Even though the Khmer Rouge was dominant, it fought against the

The border war followed a wet season / dry season rhythm. Generally, the heavily armed Vietnamese forces conducted offensive operations during the dry seasons, and the Chinese-backed Khmer Rouge held the initiative during the rainy seasons. In 1982, Vietnam launched a largely unsuccessful offensive against the main Khmer Rouge base at Phnom Malai in the Cardamom Mountains.^{[citation needed]}

The major consequence of the border civil war was that the PRK was hampered in its efforts to rebuild the much-damaged nation and consolidate its administration. The new republic's rule was tenuous in the border areas owing to persistent sabotage by the Khmer Rouge of the provincial administrative system through constant guerrilla warfare.^[2]

Implementation

The architect of the K5 plan was Vietnamese general

The K5 Plan began on 19 July 1984.[5] It became a gigantic effort that included clearing long patches of tropical forest by felling a great number of trees, as well as slashing and uprooting tall vegetation. The purpose was to leave a continuous broad open space all along the Thai border that would be watched and mined.^{[citation needed]}

In practice the K5 fence consisted of a roughly 700 km-long, 500 m-wide swath of land along the border with Thailand, where

Unforeseen by the planners of the project, from the military point of view the K5 Plan was also disastrous for the PRK. It did not deter the Khmer Rouge fighters who found ways to cross it, for it was impossible to effectively police the long border. Besides, maintenance was difficult, as the razed jungle left a scruffy undergrowth that, in the tropical climate, would grow again yearly to about a man's height.^[7]

The K5 Plan was counterproductive for the image of the PRK, as a republic bent on reconstructing what the rule of Pol Pot and his Communist Party of Kampuchea had destroyed in Cambodia. Despite the magnitude of the effort, the whole project was ultimately unsuccessful and ended up playing into the hands of the enemies of the new pro-Hanoi republic. Thousands of Cambodian peasants, who despite the Vietnamese invasion had welcomed their release from the Khmer Rouge's interference in traditional farming and the absence of taxes under the PRK government,^[2] became disgruntled.

They were angry at having to abandon their farms in order to dedicate time to clear the jungle, heavy toil they perceived as useless and unfruitful.

Many of the mines remain to this day, making the vast area dangerous. The K5 zone became part of the great landmine problem in Cambodia after the end of the civil war. In 1990 alone, the number of Cambodians that had a leg or foot amputated as a result of an injury caused by a land mine reached around 6,000.[10]

See also

• People's Republic of Kampuchea
• Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Armed Forces
• Vietnamese border raids in Thailand

References