Cambodia and Vietnam's forest cover underwent drastic reductions following the end of the Khmer Rouge government. The fall of Khmer Rouge was attributed to Vietnamese troops overthrowing the government and the occupation of Phnom Penh, establishing the People's Republic of Kampuchea (PRK) in 1978. With lack of international support by the end of the Cold War, the Khmer Rouge struggled to rebuild itself. In an attempt to increase revenue and regain power, they established themselves along the Thailand-Cambodia border in northwestern Cambodia to focus on exploiting Cambodia's natural resources including timber and rubies. With 15% of total global tropical forests, Southeast Asia is a leader in timber production. This initiative quickly became an race between political factions, as the PRK adopted Khmer Rouge extraction efforts.