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| 1982 |
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| Various anti-Communist groups formed a coalition. For many years it was the only government in exile recognized by the UN; Prince Sihanouk nominally served as its head. (Since 1941, he had never been completely out of power except for two and a half years.) | 1 |
| The Vietnamese-backed People's Republic of Kampuchea was slow to exert economic or political control. The Vietnamese set domestic and international policies. More than 100,000 Vietnamese “volunteers” in the country helped maintain control. At first, those named to be Cambodian leaders were required to have Vietnamese or pre-1979 Communist affiliations. | 2 |
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| 1984 |
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| The Vietnamese began an offensive against the Cambodian opposition late in the year. | 3 |
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| 1985 |
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| Violent and sustained military action continued, resulting in scarcity of food, forced military service, continued displacement of refugees, and factionalism among Cambodians. Although a flurry of diplomatic efforts attempted to resolve the conflict, they failed. | 4 |
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| 1986 |
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| The Vietnamese began to loosen their hold. As in Laos, they encouraged Buddhism, but monitored it closely. | 5 |
| Both sides began to tire by the end of the year, realizing that time might not be on their side. Although the Vietnamese were militarily predominant in Cambodia, their own disastrous economy put them in a weakened political and diplomatic position. | 6 |
| For Cambodians, Khmer resistance received the backing of both the ASEAN and China; the 1984–85 mauling it had suffered at the hands of the Vietnamese army had been costly in both lost bases and supply routes. Moreover, serious internecine conflict crippled efforts to mount coherent strategies and policies. | 7 |
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| 1987 |
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| Serious bargaining to resolve the issues was commenced. Difficult economic conditions and Vietnamese soldiers' discontent at being away from home prompted a sustained break in guerrilla warfare. Relaxation of the cold war, reflected in a USSR-U.S. summit and improved Sino-Soviet relations, also affected the situation in Cambodia. | 8 |
| Sihanouk surprised even his supporters and put himself in the limelight by taking a leave of absence from the coalition government of Kampuchea, a move interpreted as an attempt to distance himself from the brutality and excesses of the Khmer Rouge. | 9 |
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| 1990 |
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| The People's Republic of Kampuchea became the state of Cambodia. Numerous indications of trouble emerged: sharp cuts in Soviet aid, deepening dissension among leaders, economic stagnation, public dissatisfaction, and widespread corruption. The eastern half of the country was controlled by the antigovernment guerrillas. Altercations arose between indigenous Cambodians and Vietnamese soldiers. In Vietnam, Cambodian students were targeted, and Vietnamese student dissidents were detained in South Vietnam. | 10 |
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| Sept |
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| The four warring factions in Cambodia agreed to the UN's participation in setting up free elections. | 11 |
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