The Krom Pracheachon ( ; "People's Group"), often referred to simply as Pracheachon, was a

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 ...

n political party that contested in parliamentary elections in

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...

1958 Events January * January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being. * January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed. * January 4 ** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the thir ...

and

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...

. For much of its existence, the party was a legal front organization for the clandestine

Communist Party of Kampuchea The Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK), also known as the Khmer Communist Party,
Country Data. . was a

Formation

The Pracheachon came into existence as a result of the Geneva Accords of 1954. This guaranteed Cambodia's independence and neutrality, with parliamentary elections to be held the following year. Many of the Cambodians fighting for independence (notably members of the United Issarak Front) had been associated with the

Viet Minh The Việt Minh (, ) is the common and abbreviated name of the League for Independence of Vietnam ( or , ; ), which was a Communist Party of Vietnam, communist-led national independence coalition formed at Pác Bó by Hồ Chí Minh on 19 May 1 ...

, who now agreed to withdraw their units from Cambodia: a large number of Khmer leftists, led by veteran Issarak

Son Ngoc Minh Son Ngoc Minh (, ; 1920 – 22 December 1972), also known as Achar Mean (), was a Cambodian communist politician and co-founder of the Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party (KPRP), the predecessor to the Communist Party of Kampuchea. Biograph ...

, departed for

Hanoi Hanoi ( ; ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Vietnam, second-most populous city of Vietnam. The name "Hanoi" translates to "inside the river" (Hanoi is bordered by the Red River (Asia), Red and Black River (Asia), Black Riv ...

, where they were to remain for the next twenty years. Those remaining leftists were encouraged to form a legal political party to contest elections: the Krom Pracheachon, which had a socialist platform. The Communist Party itself (led by

Tou Samouth Tou Samouth (; c. 1915 – 20 July 1962), also known as Achar Sok (), was a Cambodian politician. One of the two founding members of the Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party (KPRP), the other being Son Ngoc Minh, and head of its more ...

and Sieu Heng, and including later prominent figures such as

Saloth Sar Pol Pot (born Saloth Sâr; 19 May 1925 – 15 April 1998) was a Cambodian politician, revolutionary, and dictator who ruled the communist state of Democratic Kampuchea from 1976 until his overthrow in 1979. During his reign, his administrat ...

(Pol Pot) and

Ieng Sary Ieng Sary (; born Kim Trang; 24 October 1925 – 14 March 2013) was the co-founder and senior member of the Khmer Rouge and one of the main architects of the Cambodian genocide. He was a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Par ...

) continued as a purely clandestine organization. The Pracheachon was led by

Non Suon Non, non or NON can refer to: * ''Non'', a negatory word in French, Italian and Latin People *Non (given name) *Non Boonjumnong (born 1982), Thai amateur boxer * Rena Nōnen (born 1993), Japanese actress who uses the stage name "Non" since July ...

Keo Meas Keo Meas (, 1926–1976) was a Cambodian communist politician. Keo Meas, then a fourth-year student at the Phnom Penh Teachers Training College, was recruited to the Indochinese Communist Party by Son Sichan in 1946. In 1950, he became a leading ...

, and Penn Yuth, all former Issaraks.Kiernan, Ben. ''How Pol Pot Came to Power''. London: Verso, 1985. pp. 156-157 It adopted the symbol of a

plough A plough or ( US) plow (both pronounced ) is a farm tool for loosening or turning the soil before sowing seed or planting. Ploughs were traditionally drawn by oxen and horses but modern ploughs are drawn by tractors. A plough may have a wooden ...

The 1955 election

The Cambodian elections of 1955 were the first in which the Krom Pracheachon took part. Due to severe harassment of its members by forces loyal to 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 ...

party of 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 Pracheachon was able to field only 35 candidates, winning 31,034 votes in total and gaining no seats. According to the historian

Ben Kiernan Benedict F. "Ben" Kiernan (born 29 January 1953) is an Australian-born American historian who is the Whitney Griswold Professor Emeritus of History, Professor of International and Area Studies and Director of the Genocide Studies Program at Yale ...

, Sihanouk later admitted that many districts had voted for socialist candidates, even when the official result showed them receiving few or no votes.Kiernan, p.162

1958 election

In the period before the 1958 election, Sihanouk appeared deeply concerned with the possibility of

North Vietnam North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; ; VNDCCH), was a country in Southeast Asia from 1945 to 1976, with sovereignty fully recognized in 1954 Geneva Conference, 1954. A member of the communist Eastern Bloc, it o ...

ese domination of Cambodia. To coincide with the election, he published a series of articles tracing the history of Cambodian communism. Though the articles were perceptive in their analysis of communist tactics, they stressed the leftists' links with Vietnam and presented them as a threat to the Cambodian nation.Dommen, A. ''The Indochinese experience of the French and the Americans'', p.360 Pressure on the Pracheachon was increased by posters showing buildings and trains destroyed by the Viet Minh, and slogans such as "The Pracheachon ruins the nation and sells the country to foreigners" and "The Pracheachon is not part of the Sangkum" appeared on walls and banners. In the election, the Pracheachon managed to field only five candidates: 4 of these were to withdraw following police harassment, leaving only Keo Meas himself, who officially received 396 votes. Meas was forced to sit out the election from a haven on the Vietnamese border, fearing arrest.

Um Neng Um Neng, alias Vy, was a Cambodian communist politician. In the early 1960s, he was a leading figure in the Pracheachon Group. At the 1971 congress of the Communist Party of Kampuchea The Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK), also known as the Kh ...

was one of the group's leaders at this time.

Kiernan, Ben Benedict F. "Ben" Kiernan (born 29 January 1953) is an Australian-born American historian who is the Whitney Griswold Professor Emeritus of History, Professor of International and Area Studies and Director of the Genocide Studies Program at Yale ...

. ''How Pol Pot Came to Power''.

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

: Verso, 1985. p. 194.

1962 election

The Krom Pracheachon was again subject to repressive measures (ostensibly for reasons of "security") in the run-up to the 1962 elections, in which its members hoped to participate. Sihanouk's police arrested 14 of its remaining members, including Secretary-General Non Suon; they were charged with possessing documents incriminating them in seeking the overthrow of the Sangkum regime by

. They were initially sentenced to death by a military court, with the sentences later being commuted to life imprisonment. The Pracheachon dissolved, and many of the remaining leftists fled

Phnom Penh Phnom Penh is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Cambodia, most populous city of Cambodia. It has been the national capital since 1865 and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its political, economic, industr ...

for the forests, except for several prominent figures (

Khieu Samphan Khieu Samphan (; born 28 July 1931) is a Cambodian former communist politician and economist who was the chairman of the state presidium of Democratic Kampuchea (Cambodia) from 1976 until 1979. As such, he served as Cambodia's head of state a ...

Hou Yuon Hou Yuon (, 1930 – August 1975 (or later) was a veteran of the communist movement in Cambodia. A member of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, also known as the Khmer Rouge, he served in several ministerial posts during the 1960s (as a memb ...

and

Hu Nim Hu Nim (, 25 July 1930 or 1932 – 6 July 1977), alias "Phoas" (), was a Cambodian Communist intellectual and politician who held a number of ministerial posts. His long political career included spells with the Sangkum regime of Prince Norodo ...

) who had joined the Sangkum. Around this time, Communist leader Tou Samouth disappeared; Saloth Sar assumed the clandestine party's leadership.

1972 election

Following

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 ...

's expulsion of Sihanouk in the

Cambodian coup of 1970 Cambodian usually refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Cambodia ** Cambodian people (or Khmer people) ** Cambodian language (or Khmer language) ** For citizens and nationals of Cambodia, see Demographics of Cambodia ** F ...

and the subsequent declaration of 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 ...

, the Pracheachon was resurrected, and fielded some candidates against Nol's Socio-Republican Party in the 1972 elections. Initially, its leader was expected to be the leftist

Hang Thun Hak Hang Thun Hak (; 2 August 1926 – 18 April 1975) was a Cambodian radical politician, academic and playwright. Life Hak studied theatre in Paris, where he became associated with the group of radical students centered on Keng Vannsak, which in ...

; Hak instead joined the PSR, and Penn Yuth emerged as its leader.Corfield, J. ''Khmers stand up!: a history of the Cambodian government 1970-1975'', 1994, p.166 Yuth, now an officer in the

Khmer National Armed Forces The Khmer National Armed Forces (; , FANK) were the combined military forces of the Khmer Republic, a short-lived nationalist and militaristic state that existed from 1970 to 1975, known today as Cambodia. The FANK was the successor of the Roya ...

was, however by this time a close associate of Lon Nol, and it was widely thought that the Pracheachon had been reorganized by Nol's brother

Lon Non Lon Non (; 18 April 1930 – 17 April 1975) was a Cambodian military officer and politician who rose to prominence during the Cambodian Civil War (1967–1975) and the Khmer Republic (1970–1975). Non was the younger brother of Prime Minis ...

specifically to provide a 'token' opposition to the PSR. Figures associated with the Pracheachon in this period included Saloth Chhay, a left-wing journalist who was the brother of Pol Pot (Saloth Sar). The Socio-Republican Party won all seats in the elections.

References

{{Authority control 1954 establishments in Cambodia 1972 disestablishments in Cambodia Buddhist political parties Communist front organizations Communist parties in Cambodia Defunct communist parties Defunct political parties in Cambodia Khmer Rouge Political parties disestablished in 1972 Political parties established in 1954