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Preamble
On
the basis of the sacred and fundamental desires of the people, workers,
peasants, and other labourers as well as those of the fighters and cadres of the
Kampuchean Revolutionary Army; and
Whereas
a significant role has been played by the people, especially the workers, poor
peasants, the lower middle peasantry, and other strata of labourers in the
countryside and cities, who account for more than ninety-five percent of the
entire Kampuchean nation, who assumed the heaviest responsibility in waging the
war for the liberation of the nation and the people, made the greatest
sacrifices in terms of life, property, and commitment, served the front line
relentlessly, and unhesitatingly sacrificed their children and husbands by the
thousands for the fight on the battlefield;
Whereas
great sacrifices have been borne by the three categories of the Kampuchean
Revolutionary Army who fought valiantly, day and night, in the dry and rainy
season, underwent all sorts of hardship and misery, shortages of food, medicine,
clothing, ammunition, and other commodities in the great war for the liberation
of the nation and the people;
Whereas
the entire Kampuchean people and the entire Kampuchean Revolutionary Army desire
an independent, unified, peaceful, neutral, non-aligned, sovereign Kampuchea
enjoying territorial integrity, a national society informed by genuine
happiness, equality, justice, and democracy without rich or poor and without
exploiters or exploited, a society in which all live harmoniously in great
national solidarity and join forces to do manual labour together and increase
production for the construction and defence of the country;
And
whereas the resolution of the Special National Congress held on 25, 26 and 27
April 1975 solemnly proclaimed recognition and respect for the above desires of
the entire people and the entire Kampuchean Revolutionary Army;
The
Constitution of Kampuchea states:
Chapter
One
The
State
Article
1
The State of Kampuchea is an independent, unified, peaceful, neutral,
non-aligned, sovereign, and democratic State enjoying territorial integrity.
The
State of Kampuchea is a State of the people, workers, peasants, and all other
Kampuchean labourers.
The
official name of the State of Kampuchea is "Democratic Kampuchea".
Chapter
Two
The
Economy
Article
2
All important general means of production are the collective property of the
people's State and the common property of the people's collectives.
Property
for everyday use remains in private hands.
Chapter
Three
Culture
Article
3
The culture of Democratic Kampuchea has a national, popular, forward-looking,
and healthful character such as will serve the tasks of defending and building
Kampuchea into an ever more prosperous country.
This
new culture is absolutely opposed to the corrupt, reactionary culture of the
various oppressive classes and that of colonialism and imperialism in Kampuchea.
Chapter
Four
The
Principle of Leadership and Work
Article
4
Democratic Kampuchea applies the collective principle in leadership and work.
Chapter
Five
Legislative
Power
Article
5
Legislative power is invested in the representative assembly of the people,
workers, peasants, and all other Kampuchean labourers.
This
Assembly shall be officially known as the "Kampuchean People's
Representative Assembly".
The
Kampuchean People's Representative Assembly shall be made up of 250 members,
representing the people, the workers, peasants, and all other Kampuchean
labourers and the Kampuchean Revolutionary Army. Of these 250, there shall be:
Representing
the peasants 150
Representing
the labourers and other working people 50
Representing
the revolutionary army 50
Article
6
The members of the Kampuchean People's Representative Assembly are to be elected
by the people through direct and prompt general elections by secret ballot to be
held throughout the country every five years.
Article
7
The People's Representative Assembly is responsible for legislation and for
defining the various domestic and foreign policies of Democratic Kampuchea.
Chapter
Six
The
Executive Body
Article
8
The administration is a body responsible for executing the laws and political
lines of the Kampuchean People's Representative Assembly.
The
administration is elected by the Kampuchean People's Representative Assembly and
must be fully responsible to the Kampuchean People's Representative Assembly for
all its activities inside and outside the country.
Chapter
Seven
Justice
Article
9
Justice is administered by people's courts, representing and defending the
people's justice, defending the democratic rights and liberties of the people,
and condemning any activities directed against the people's State or violating
the laws of the people's State.
The
judges at all levels will be chosen and appointed by the People's Representative
Assembly.
Article
10
Actions violating the laws of the people's State are as follows:
Dangerous
activities in opposition to the people's State must be condemned to the highest
degree.
Other
cases are subject to constructive re-education in the framework of the State's
or people's organisations.
Chapter
Eight
The
State Presidium
Article
11
Democratic Kampuchea has a State Presidium chosen and appointed by the
Kampuchean People's Representative Assembly once every five years.
The
State Presidium is responsible for representing the State of Democratic
Kampuchea inside and outside the country in keeping with the Constitution of
Democratic Kampuchea and with the laws and political lines of the Kampuchean
People's Representative Assembly.
The
State Presidium is composed as follows: a president, a first vice-president, and
a second vice-president.
Chapter
Nine
The
Rights and Duties of the Individual
Article
12
Every citizen of Kampuchea enjoys full rights to a constantly improving
material, spiritual, and cultural life.
Every
citizen of Democratic Kampuchea is guaranteed a living.
All
workers are the masters of their factories.
All
peasants are the masters of the rice paddies and fields.
All
other labourers have the right to work.
There
is absolutely no unemployment in Democratic Kampuchea.
Article
13 There
must be complete equality among all Kampuchean people in an equal, just,
democratic, harmonious, and happy society within the great national solidarity
for defending and building the country together.
Men
and women are fully equal in every respect.
Polygamy
is prohibited.
Article
14 It
is the duty of all to defend and build the country together in accordance with
individual ability and potential.
Chapter
Ten
The
Capital
Article
15 The
capital city of Democratic Kampuchea is Phnom Penh.
Chapter
Eleven
The
National Flag
Article
16 The
design and significance of the Kampuchean national flag are as follows:
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 the national traditions of the Kampuchean people, who
are defending and building the country to make it ever more prosperous.
Chapter
Twelve
The
National Emblem
Article
17 The national emblem consists of a
network of dikes and canals, which symbolise modern agriculture, and factories,
which symbolise industry. These are framed by an oval garland of rice ears, with
the inscription "Democratic Kampuchea" at the bottom.
Chapter
Thirteen
The
National Anthem
Article
18 The
national anthem of Democratic Kampuchea is the "Dap Prampi Mesa Chokchey"
["Glorious Seventeenth of April"].
Chapter
Fourteen
The
Kampuchean Revolutionary Army
Article
19 The
three categories of the Kampuchean Revolutionary Army?regular, regional, and
guerrilla?form an army of the people made up of men and women fighters and
cadres who are the children of the labourers, peasants, and other Kampuchean
working people. They defend the State power of the Kampuchean people and of
independent, unified, peaceful, neutral, non-aligned, sovereign, and democratic
Kampuchea, which enjoys territorial integrity, and at the same time they help to
build a country growing more prosperous every day to improve and develop the
people's standard of living.
Chapter
Fifteen
Worship
and Religion
Article
20 Every
citizen of Kampuchea has the right to worship according to any religion and the
right not to worship according to any religion.
Reactionary
religions which are detrimental to Democratic Kampuchea and Kampuchean people
are absolutely forbidden.
Chapter
Sixteen
Foreign
Policy
Article
21
Democratic Kampuchea fervently and earnestly desires to maintain close and
friendly relations with all countries sharing a common border and with all those
near and distant throughout the world in conformity with the principles of
mutual and absolute respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Democratic
Kampuchea adheres to a policy of independence, peace, neutrality and
non-alignment. It will permit absolutely no foreign country to maintain military
bases on its territory and is resolutely opposed to all forms of outside
interference in its internal affairs, and to all forms of subversion and
aggression against Democratic Kampuchea from outside, whether military,
political, cultural, social, diplomatic, or humanitarian.
Democratic
Kampuchea refuses all intervention in the domestic affairs of other countries,
and scrupulously respects the principle that every country is sovereign and
entitled to manage and decide its own affairs without outside interference.
Democratic
Kampuchea remains absolutely within the great family of non-aligned nations.
Democratic Kampuchea strives to promote solidarity with the peoples of the Third World in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and with peace- and justice-loving people the world over, and to contribute most actively to mutual aid and support in the struggle against imperialism, colonialism, neo-colonialism, and in favour of independence, peace, friendship, democracy, justice, and progress in the world.