Pailin
ប៉ៃលិន | |
|---|---|
| Pailin Province ខេត្តប៉ែលិន | |
 Pailin countryside from Phnom Yat | |
 Seal | |
 Map of Cambodia highlighting Pailin | |
| Coordinates: 12°51′02″N 102°36′34″E / 12.85056°N 102.60944°E | |
| Country |  Cambodia |
| Founded | 1909 |
| City–municipality | 31 July 1997 |
| Province | 22 December 2008 |
| Capital | Pailin |
| Subdivisions | 1 municipality; 1 district |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Ban Sreymom (CPP) |
| • National Assembly | 1 / 125
|
| Area | |
• Total | 803 km2 (310 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 23rd |
| Population (2023)[1] | |
• Total |  82,546 |
| • Rank | 24th |
| • Density | 94/km2 (240/sq mi) |
| • Rank | 15th |
| Time zone | UTC+07:00 (ICT) |
| Dialing code | +855 |
| ISO 3166 code | KH-24 |
| Website | www |
Pailin (Khmer: ប៉ៃលិន, Pailĭn [ˈpajlɨn]) is a province in western Cambodia at the northern edge of the Cardamom Mountains near the border of Thailand.[2] This province is surrounded by Battambang province, and was officially carved out of Battambang to become a separate administrative division after the surrender of the Ieng Sary faction of the Khmer Rouge in 1996.[3] Pailin is known to much of the world for having long been a stronghold of the Khmer Rouge,[4] remaining under their control long after they were defeated in 1979 and serving from 1994 to 1998 as the capital of the Provisional Government of National Union and National Salvation of Cambodia. Within Cambodia, Pailin is known for its natural resources, namely precious gems and timber.
Once a part of the powerful Khmer Empire, Pailin was conquered in 1558 by the Burmese under Bayinnaung[5] and later ruled by the Siamese (Thai) until 1907 and from 1941 to 1946 when it was returned to Cambodia. It was known to the Thai as "Phailin" (Thai: ไพลิน, Thai pronunciation: [pʰāj.lin]). There is still a vibrant border crossing point in Pailin. On 22 December 2008, King Norodom Sihamoni signed a Royal Decree that changed the municipalities of Kep, Pailin and Sihanoukville into provinces, as well as adjusting several provincial borders.[6][7]
- ^ "General Population Census of the Kingdom of Cambodia 2019 – Final Results" (PDF). National Institute of Statistics. Ministry of Planning. 26 January 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
- ^ "Pailin Province". Official Tourism website of Pailin. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
- ^ "Y Chhien to Be Replaced as Pailin Governor - Foreign Minister Ieng Sary led his rebel forces in the area to defect to the government in 1996". The Cambodia Daily. May 30, 2014. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
- ^ "Khmer Rouge killers live in contented retirement as Cambodia struggles with the legacy of Pol Pot". Telegraph Media Group Limited. July 21, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
- ^ "Pailin Pagoda". Southeastasianet. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
- ^ "Decree creates three new provinces". khmerization.blogspot.com. December 2008.
- ^ "2008 Royal Decree on changing of Pailin municipality to Pailin province" (in Khmer). Archived from the original on 2011-07-22.