Flag of Democratic Kampuchea
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 | |
| Use | National flag and ensign   |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 2:3 |
| Adopted | 5 January 1976 |
| Relinquished | 7 January 1979 |
| Design | A red field charged in the centre with a yellow silhouette of a three-towered temple |
| Designed by |
|
.svg) Alternative design | |
The flag of Democratic Kampuchea was the national flag of Cambodia during the period of Khmer Rouge rule, when the country was known as Democratic Kampuchea. It was adopted on 5 January 1976, upon the implementation of a new national constitution by the Khmer Rouge. It ceased being the Cambodian national flag on 7 January 1979, when Vietnamese forces captured the capital Phnom Penh and effectively ended the Khmer Rouge government. However, the flag was retained by the exiled, Khmer Rouge–led Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea, which was recognised by the United Nations.
The design is a red field charged in the centre with a yellow silhouette of a three-towered temple. Although the silhouette resembles Angkor Wat, a nationally significant monument and a common motif on preceding Cambodian flags, Democratic Kampuchea's constitution did not specifically mention Angkor Wat.
Article 16 of the Constitution of Democratic Kampuchea describes the design of the flag and gives its colours and symbols the following significance:[1]
The background is red, with a yellow three-towered temple in the middle.
The red background symbolises the revolutionary movement, the resolute and valiant struggle of the Kampuchean people for the liberation, defence, and construction of their country.
The yellow temple symbolises national traditions of the Kampuchean people, who are defending and building the country to make it ever more prosperous.
— Article 16 of the Constitution of Democratic Kampuchea, as translated in Etcheson (2019).
While previous Cambodian national flags featured Angkor Wat, a nationally significant monument, Democratic Kampuchea's constitution did not specifically name the monument, depicting a generic wat (Buddhist temple).[2]
