Khmer Serei
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The Khmer Serei (Khmer: ខ្មែរសេរី [kʰmae seːrəj]; "Free Khmer") were an anti-communist and anti-monarchist guerrilla force founded by Cambodian nationalist Son Ngoc Thanh. In 1959, he published 'The Manifesto of the Khmer Serei' claiming that Sihanouk was supporting the 'communization' of Kampuchea.[1] In the 1960s, the Khmer Serei were growing in numbers, hoping to become a major political and fighting force.
The primary objective of the Khmer Serei was to destabilize the existing powers held by the then-Cambodian leader, King Norodom Sihanouk and to overthrow his reign – and to become a permanent part of the Cambodian body politic.[2]
The Khmer Serei's relative lack of resources, poor timing, and lack of support relative to the Khmer Rouge majority and King Sihanouk led to the eventual decline of the group.