Phnom Voar
Encyclopedia
Phnom Voar is a small range of mountains in southern Cambodia
. The mountain range is located in Damnak Chang'eaur District of Kep Province, near the border with Kampot Province. This relatively isolated range became notorious as a battleground during the Cambodian Civil War
, when it was a base for communist insurgent forces and the target of significant bombing by B-52s and other air strikes.
The main north south railway line between Phnom Penh
and Sihanoukville
runs along the base of the mountain. National road 33 between Kampong Trach and Kampot also runs nearby. However, there are few roads or paths within the mountains and only two permanent communities: Chamkar Bei and Rones villages.
– the secret police of the Democratic Kampuchea
regime.
After the fall of the Khmer Rouge
in 1979, Phnom Voar became one of the southern rebel bases for the remaining Democratic Kampuchea forces. In June 1994, Phnom Voar leapt to international fame as the site of the kidnapping of three westerners, Australian David Wilson, 29, Briton Mark Slater, 28, and Frenchman Jean-Michel Braquet, 27 from a train by Khmer Rouge forces led by Commander Chouk Rin. In September of the same year, the westerners were executed and their bodies buried at the base of the mountain.
in 1998. These agencies have been attempting to improve health, education and livelihoods for villagers who had missed the rapid development and reconstruction of the rest of the country due to years of isolation and war.
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
. The mountain range is located in Damnak Chang'eaur District of Kep Province, near the border with Kampot Province. This relatively isolated range became notorious as a battleground during the Cambodian Civil War
Cambodian Civil War
The Cambodian Civil War was a conflict that pitted the forces of the Communist Party of Kampuchea and their allies the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the Viet Cong against the government forces of Cambodia , which were supported by the United States and the Republic of Vietnam The Cambodian...
, when it was a base for communist insurgent forces and the target of significant bombing by B-52s and other air strikes.
The main north south railway line between Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,...
and Sihanoukville
Sihanoukville
Sihanoukville , also known as Kampong Saom, is a province in southern Cambodia on the Gulf of Thailand. This port city is a growing Cambodian urban center, located southwest of the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. The province is named after King Father Norodom Sihanouk and grew up around the...
runs along the base of the mountain. National road 33 between Kampong Trach and Kampot also runs nearby. However, there are few roads or paths within the mountains and only two permanent communities: Chamkar Bei and Rones villages.
History
Between 1975 and 1979, the area around Phnom Voar was the site of several killing fields and two prisons run by the SantebalSantebal
The Santebal, a Khmer term meaning "keeper of the peace", was the Special Branch of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia.The Santebal was in charge of internal security and running prison camps like Tuol Sleng where thousands of people were imprisoned, tortured and killed...
– the secret police of the Democratic Kampuchea
Democratic Kampuchea
The Khmer Rouge period refers to the rule of Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Son Sen, Khieu Samphan and the Khmer Rouge Communist party over Cambodia, which the Khmer Rouge renamed as Democratic Kampuchea....
regime.
After the fall of the Khmer Rouge
Khmer Rouge
The Khmer Rouge literally translated as Red Cambodians was the name given to the followers of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, who were the ruling party in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, led by Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Son Sen and Khieu Samphan...
in 1979, Phnom Voar became one of the southern rebel bases for the remaining Democratic Kampuchea forces. In June 1994, Phnom Voar leapt to international fame as the site of the kidnapping of three westerners, Australian David Wilson, 29, Briton Mark Slater, 28, and Frenchman Jean-Michel Braquet, 27 from a train by Khmer Rouge forces led by Commander Chouk Rin. In September of the same year, the westerners were executed and their bodies buried at the base of the mountain.
After the war
Since 1994, and the capture or surrender of the last rebel forces in the mountains, Phnom Voar has attracted significant attention from international NGOs, particularly from UnescoUNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
in 1998. These agencies have been attempting to improve health, education and livelihoods for villagers who had missed the rapid development and reconstruction of the rest of the country due to years of isolation and war.