The system of transport in Cambodia, rudimentary at the best of times, was severely damaged in the chaos that engulfed the nation in the latter half of the 20th century. The country's weak transport infrastructure hindered emergency relief efforts, exacerbating the logistical issues of procurement of supplies in general and their distribution. Cambodia received Soviet technical assistance and equipment to support the maintenance of the transportation network.
The Mayaguez incident took place between Kampuchea and the United States from 12 to 15 May 1975, less than a month after the Khmer Rouge took control of the capital Phnom Penh ousting the U.S.-backed Khmer Republic. After the Khmer Rouge seized the U.S. merchant vessel SS Mayaguez in a disputed maritime area, the U.S. mounted a hastily-prepared rescue operation. U.S. Marines recaptured the ship and attacked the island of Koh Tang where it was believed that the crew were being held as hostages. Encountering stronger-than-expected defences on Koh Tang, three United States Air Force helicopters were destroyed during the initial assault and the Marines fought a desperate day-long battle with the Khmer Rouge before being evacuated. The Mayaguez's crew were released unharmed by the Khmer Rouge shortly after the attack on Koh Tang began. The names of the Americans killed, including three Marines left behind on Koh Tang after the battle and subsequently executed by the Khmer Rouge, are the last names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Koh Kong is a province (khaet) of Cambodia. Its capital is Khemarak Phoumin.
Phnom Penh International Airport, formerly Pochentong International Airport, is the busiest international airport in Cambodia and serves as the country's main international gateway. It is Cambodia's second largest airport by area after the new Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport. It is located in the Pou Senchey District, 10 kilometres (5.4 NM) west of Phnom Penh, the nation's capital.
Kampot is a city in southern Cambodia and the capital of Kampot Province. It is on the Praek Tuek Chhu River, southeast of the Elephant Mountains, and around 5 km (3 mi) from the Gulf of Thailand. Kampot was the capital of the Circonscription Résidentielle de Kampot under French rule and Cambodia's most important seaport after the loss of the Mekong Delta and before the establishment of Sihanoukville. Its center is, unlike most Cambodian provincial capitals, composed of 19th-century French colonial architecture. The region and town are known for high-quality pepper, which is exported worldwide. It is also known for its fish sauce and durian. The government and the Ministry of Culture and Fine Art have been preparing documents to nominate the Old Town of Kampot for admission to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list, since 2017.
Kiri Sakor District is a district (srok) of Koh Kong Province, in south-western Cambodia. All of Kiri Sakor is part of Botum Sakor National Park since 1993.
Bilateral relations between the United States and Cambodia, while strained throughout the Cold War, have strengthened considerably in modern times. The U.S. supports efforts in Cambodia to combat terrorism, build democratic institutions, promote human rights, foster economic development, and eliminate corruption.
Botum Sakor National Park is the largest national park of Cambodia. Situated on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand, Botum Sakor is a peninsula projecting southwest from the Cardamom Mountains. The national park comprises an area of 1,825.85 km2 (704.96 sq mi) and spans three districts of Koh Kong Province: Kiri Sakor, Botum Sakor and Koh Kong. The park is under the administration of the Cambodian Ministry of Environment, and a small part of the park is included in the Southern Cardamom REDD+ Project (SCRP).
Preah Sihanouk, also Sihanoukville, is a province (khaet) in southwest Cambodia on the Gulf of Thailand. The provincial capital, also called Sihanoukville, is a deep water port city and a steadily growing and diversifying urban center on an elevated peninsula.
Koh Sdach is a Cambodian island located in the Gulf of Thailand, around 1.5 km (1 mi) off the coast of Botum Sakor national park, in the Kiri Sakor district in Koh Kong province, Cambodia. It belongs to a small archipelago of 12 islands, all in relative proximity to each other and to the main land. A fishing community inhabits the island, with people of Khmer, Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese descent. The village stretches along the east side of the island; to the west there is a small Khmer run bungalow guesthouse; at the southern end of the island lies a luxurious holiday resort. Koh Sdach has two beaches, one to the south and one westerly facing.
Ream Naval Base is a facility operated by the Royal Cambodian Navy on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand in the province of Sihanoukville, Cambodia. The base, which covers approximately 190 acres, is located on a peninsula just southeast of the provincial capital, Krong Preah Sihanouk. In 2010 the base has been the site of some joint Cambodian-United States training and naval exercises under the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) program. However in September 2020 one of two US-funded buildings on the base was demolished as the base was being converted by Chinese state-owned enterprises into a major operations hub for People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).
Sihanoukville, also known as Kampong Saom, is a coastal city in Cambodia and the capital of Preah Sihanouk Province, at the tip of an elevated peninsula in the country's south-west on the Gulf of Thailand. The city has a string of beaches along its coastline and coastal marshlands bordering Ream National Park in the east. It has one navigable river, the mangrove-lined Ou Trojak Jet, running from Otres Pagoda to the sea at Otres. Several sparsely inhabited islands under Sihanoukville's administration are near the city.
Chbar Ampov is a district (khan) in central Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Say Phouthang was a Cambodian politician and a leader during the People's Republic of Kampuchea.
Techo International Airport is an international airport currently under construction in Kandal Province of Cambodia. Located about 30–40 kilometres south of Phnom Penh, the first phase is expected to be operational by 2025 and will replace the existing Phnom Penh International Airport as the city's main aviation hub. It is planned to span over 2,600 hectares in Kandal Province, and once completed, it will be the ninth largest airport in the world and designated as a 4F class airport.
Tatai Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area in southwest Cambodia created in 2016, covering 144,275 ha. Located in the Cardamom Mountains, the area is threatened by sand dredging and processing, by the filling-in of water bodies, and by land-grabbing. In 2021, 26,103 ha were cut from the wildlife sanctuary in a PADDD event. Local communities have been displaced into the protected area from nearby areas following the creation of the 246-megawatt Stung Tatai hydropower dam by China National Machinery Industry Corporation in 2014.
Dara Sakor is a special economic zone in Cambodia. The zone encompasses 139 square miles (360 km2) carved out of Botum Sakor National Park, along the coastline of Koh Kong province, encompassing nearly 20% of Cambodia's coastline. In 2007, the Chinese government adopted it as a Belt and Road Initiative project, underwriting a US$15 million bond. In 2008, the Cambodian government granted Chinese-owned Union Development Group (UDG), a subsidiary of Wanlong Group based in Tianjin, a 99-year lease to operate the zone, which includes a US$3.9 billion investment to build the Dara Sakor International Airport, a deep water port, an industrial zone, and resort facilities. Dara Sakor's developments have courted significant scrutiny for corruption, potential use by the Chinese military, land disputes, and illicit operations, including human trafficking and cyber scamming.
Oknha Ly Yong Phat is a Sino-Cambodian senator and businessman. He owns LYP Group, a major conglomerate in Cambodia, with interests in tobacco, electricity, casinos and tourism. He has a major business presence in Koh Kong province, where he was born. Yong Phat's businesses have been linked to numerous controversies, including the use of child labour, cyber scam fraud factories, and forced land evictions. On 6 December 2022, he was appointed as prime minister Hun Sen's personal advisor.
Tea Vinh (Khmer: ទៀ វិញ; born 7 January 1952 in Koh Kong) is the commander of the Royal Cambodian Navy, deputy commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, and secretary-general of the National Committee for Maritime Security. In November 2021, the United States government sanctioned Vinh for corruption, for conspiring with other Cambodian officials to personally benefit from the proceeds of projects at the Ream Naval Base.
