Khmer Renovation Party (; ), also translated as Khmer Renewal Party, was an

anti-communist Anti-communism is political and ideological opposition to communist beliefs, groups, and individuals. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, when th ...

nationalist Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...

and

royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gove ...

political party founded in

Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...

in September 1947. In 1955, it became one of the core elements of the

Sangkum The Sangkum Reastr Niyum (, , ;Headly, Robert K.; Chhor, Kylin; Lim, Lam Kheng; Kheang, Lim Hak; Chun, Chen. 1977. ''Cambodian-English Dictionary''. Bureau of Special Research in Modern Languages. The Catholic University of America Press. Washi ...

political movement of the Prince

Norodom Sihanouk Norodom Sihanouk (; 31 October 192215 October 2012) was a member of the House of Norodom, Cambodian royal house who led the country as Monarchy of Cambodia, King, List of heads of state of Cambodia, Chief of State and Prime Minister of Cambodi ...

. The party is mainly significant because key members

Lon Nol Marshal Lon Nol (, also ; 13 November 1913 – 17 November 1985) was a Cambodian military officer and politician who served as Prime Minister of Cambodia twice (1966–67; 1969–71), as well as serving repeatedly as defence minister and provi ...

and Prince

Sisowath Sirik Matak Sisowath Sirik Matak (; 22 January 191421 April 1975) was a Cambodian politician and member of the Cambodian royal family, under the House of Sisowath. Sirik Matak was mainly notable for his involvement in Cambodian politics, particularly for hi ...

would go on to lead the right-wing coup of 1970 against Sihanouk and his Sangkum regime.

History

The party was formed by the politician and soldier

Nhiek Tioulong Nhiek Tioulong (, Romanization of Khmer#UNGEGN, UNGEGN: , Romanization of Khmer#ALA-LC Romanization Tables, ALA-LC: ; 23 August 1908 – 9 June 1996) was a Cambodian army officer, politician, and actor who served as Acting Prime Minister of Cambo ...

and police chief Lon Nol.Corfield, J. ''History of Cambodia'', ABC-CLIO, 2009, p.57 Its nominal leader was the respected Prince

Sisowath Monipong Sisowath Monipong (; 25 August 1912 – 31 August 1956) was the second son of the former King of Cambodia, Sisowath Monivong and Princess Norodom Kanviman Norleak Tevi. He took part in Cambodian politics during and after World War II. Biograph ...

, one of the two sons of King

Sisowath Monivong Sisowath Monivong (, ;Headly, Robert K.; Chhor, Kylin; Lim, Lam Kheng; Kheang, Lim Hak; Chun, Chen. 1977. ''Cambodian-English Dictionary''. Bureau of Special Research in Modern Languages. The Catholic University of America Press. Washington, D ...

and one of the candidates for the throne passed over in favor of Sihanouk in 1941. Other prominent members included

Chau Sen Cocsal Chhum Chau Sen Cocsal (, ; 1 September 1905 – 22 January 2009), also known as Chhum (Khmer: ឈុំ, ), was a Cambodian civil servant and politician who served as Prime Minister of Cambodia in 1962 and List of Presidents of the National Assembly of ...

, who advised Tioulong and Nol in founding the party, and Chuop Hell. The party, known informally as the "Renos",Corfield, J. and Summers, L. ''Historical Dictionary of Cambodia'', Scarecrow Press, p.223 had a socially conservative and royalist program - albeit far more pro-independence than that of the similarly conservative

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

of Prince

Norodom Norindeth Prince Norodom Norindeth (, 1906?–1975) was a member of the royal family of Cambodia. Active as a politician and diplomat during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, he started a notable political party.Corfield, J. ''The History of Cambodia'', ABC-CL ...

- and attracted high-ranking bureaucrats and several members of the royal family as well as military officers.Fukui, Haruhiro. ''Political parties of Asia and the Pacific'', V.1, Greenwood Press, 1985, p.642 Khmer Renovation's "quasi-feudalist" perspective, which emphasized Cambodia and its monarchy's place in world history and the postcolonial order, was symbolized by its chosen

symbol A symbol is a mark, Sign (semiotics), sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, physical object, object, or wikt:relationship, relationship. Symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by cr ...

of the Earth Goddess superimposed on a map of the protectorate. It published a newspaper, ''Khmera'' or ''Rénovation'', in both French and Khmer versions. Monipong was to become the

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

of a 'unity' government between June 1950 and February 1951. Lon Nol led the party to the polls in the 1951 elections, where - despite receiving 9.1% of the total vote - it won 2 seats in the Assembly. Although the Khmer Renovation Party had only limited electoral success - neither Lon Nol nor Sirik Matak, later to become prominent politicians, won seats while a party member - it became one of the main political groupings behind the formation of the Sangkum of Prince Sihanouk.Kiernan, B. ''How Pol Pot came to Power'', Yale University Press, 2004, p.158 Nhiek Tioulong was to become Prime Minister under the Sangkum, and was later to become a prominent figure in the pro-royalist

FUNCINPEC The National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful and Cooperative Cambodia, commonly referred to as FUNCINPEC, is a royalist political party in Cambodia. Founded in 1981 by Norodom Sihanouk, it began as a resistance movement again ...

organization. Lon Nol was also to become Prime Minister but, along with Sirik Matak, was to lead the 1970 coup deposing Sihanouk and instigating the

Khmer Republic The Khmer Republic (, ; ) was a Cambodian state under the United States-backed military dictatorship of Marshal Lon Nol from 1970 to 1975. Its establishment was formally declared on 9 October 1970, following the 18 March 1970 coup d'état w ...

References

{{Cambodian political parties 1947 establishments in French Indochina 1955 disestablishments in Cambodia Buddhist political parties Defunct political parties in Cambodia Monarchist parties in Cambodia Nationalist parties in Cambodia Political parties disestablished in 1955 Political parties established in 1947