38 | Cambodia 1960 2017 war willkill250,000Cambodiansby1975. civil of PrinceSihanoukgrows.Anunfolding Communist Partyoppositiontotheregime 1960 government banspublicdemonstrations. protesters andstrikingworkers.The Security forcesopenfireonantigovernment 2014 continuously tothepresentday. Hun Senwillserveasprimeminister Hun Sen’sCPPwinsnationalelections. 1998 conflict ends. The KhmerRougecollapse,andarmed 1998 kill 1.2to2.8millionpeopleinfouryears. the KhmerRougebeginagenocidethatwill Envisioning anagrariancommunistutopia, 1975 power. Rouge defeatLonNol’sarmyandseize With supportfromSihanouk,theKhmer 1975 arrrested, accusedoftreason. as itsnewpresidentwhowassubsequently the CNRP.TheCNRPelectsKem Sokha A newlawforcesRainsytoresign from 2017 exchange forelectoralreform. ends itsyearlongboycottofparliamentin After furtherviolentclashes,theCNRP 2014
s
by right-winggeneralLonNol. Prince Sihanoukisoustedinacoupd’état 1970 exile. Sam Rainsy,whoremainsinself-imposed arrest warrantisissuedforCNRPleader Amid deterioratingpoliticalconditions,an 2015 a yearlongpoliticalcrisis. parliament asprotestsbreakout,beginning CNRP rejectstheresultsandboycotts widespread irregularities.Theopposition The CPPnarrowlywinselectionsamid 2013 for 20years,killingover86,000. China-backed KhmerRougecoalitionlasts regime, butcivilwarwiththeWestern-and Vietnam invades,endingtheKhmerRouge 1979
* Rankingsarebasedonthelast15yearsandrelativetootherAsiancountries. Cambodia with amaturing“youthbulge” thismaybechanging. their government,but to constructivelyengage reluctant citizens areunderstandably a country dominated by a single party and still suffering from the traumas of genocide, In executive. the within power of onamonopoly thatisdependent system and apolitical system, judicial law, adysfunctional of rule weak to prevails due impunity of A culture are common. violence gender-based of Cases authorities. of mistrust people’s tion and corrup to widespread on crime,due statistics The countrylacksaccurate development. its naturalresourcesforeconomic as thecountryaimstoincreaseexportsandexploit conflicts land and labor mounting faces Cambodia power. hold to legitimacy party’s ruling also aimstounderminethe which strategy, as apopulist Vietnamese ethnic the political conflict. The opposition party continues to use racially charged rhetoric against by exacerbated have been living inCambodia Vietnamese ethnic against attacks cally, Histori leader. and its government the to opposition political or perceived real their of basis on the commentators activists, andpolitical social defenders, human rights as well as supporters and members its targeting opposition, the suppress to efforts its up tional electionsapproachin2018.Thereareallegationsthatthegovernmentisstepping rise, asna are againonthe parties ruling andopposition the victory. Tensionsbetween protests tookplace. Forayear, theoppositionpartyboycottedparliament, claiming sixmonthsofantigovernment 2013 elections, the National Assembly world. Following globalized in the challenges economic and regime, Rouge Khmer civil wars,the past of historicallegacy socialdivisions,aresultofthe anddeepening by risingpoliticaltensions improvedDespite levelsdevelopment of1990s,sincethe characterized is todayCambodia At a glance a At Overview Absent Separatism andautonomy Absent Transnational terrorism Medium National politicalconflict Absent National civilwar Urban crimeandviolence High Local resource conflict but withpotentialtorise Decreasing from mediumtolow Local politicalandelectoralconflict Low Communal/ideological conflict Medium - - -
39 | Cambodia 40 | Cambodia forces with the Communist Party of Kampuchea, the Khmer Rouge, and attacked Lon Nol’s army. forces withtheCommunistPartyofKampuchea, theKhmer Rouge, andattacked Lon Nol’s army. joined followers Vietnam). Sihanoukandhis Vietnam (South of Republic and the States United under General Lon A newauthoritarian wing militaryleaders. leadership Nolwasbackedbythe right- by d’état in 1970acoup ousted prince was Prince Sihanouk’sregime,andthe oppose and an antigovernment coalition by a led bytheKhmerRouge.Theinvasion was precipitated army, Vietnamese Cambodian government,backedbythe anew civil war, of 20 years, between on trialforcrimesagainsthumanity. 1975and1979. starvation between or disease 1.2 the KhmerRougeregimevary,from killed or died were but betweenand2.8 million people to question authority and couldpossibly overthrow theregime. Estimates offatalities during they hadtheintelligence doctors, lawyers,monks, groups, because and membersofopposition eliminated anyonewhocouldthreatentheirrule, especiallyintellectuals, suchasteachers, also Rouge The Khmer spot. on the killed were leave to or refused slow too were who People and children. elderly, sick, the cities, includingthe the to leave was forced Muslims. Everyone minorities suchasChinese,Vietnamese, Thais, Christians, and religious and began withethnic genocide The repression. severe to leading suspended, immediately were liberties and civil rights as laborers.All citizens country intoanorganizationoffarmswith munist utopia,turningthe an agrarian leader, PolPot,envisioned com century. TheKhmerRouge twentieth killings ofthe In 1975,theKhmerRougewoncivilwarandgainedpower. Cambodia The Khmer Rouge regime ended when Vietnam invaded PhnomPenh, regime ended triggering another The KhmerRouge worst mass one ofthe (1975–1979), Cambodiaexperienced regime Khmer Rouge During the deaths. 250,000 to anestimated led civil war(1967–1975) Cambodia’s decades. in recent Cambodia has experienced the turmoil of civil war, genocide, and prolonged conflict National civilwar 1 In the 1960s, several groups in the opposition Communist Party started to Party started Communist opposition in the 1960s, groups several Inthe 2 Today, former membersoftheKhmerRougeare National level - to an end. The conflict caused over 86,000 deaths between 1979 and 1998 ( 1998 and 1979 between deaths 86,000 over caused conflict The end. an to came conflict armed and collapsed, Rouge Khmer the 1998, In substantially. decreased parties Warended, Vietnam withdrew itsforces fromCambodia,and foreign supportwarring tothe Cold the After 1998. until continued conflict the agreement, peace 1991 a Despite region. the in influence Vietnamese and Soviet limit to attempt an in alliance antigovernment the supported and Cooperative Cambodia (FUNCINPEC), ledbySihanouk. Western countries and China of SonSann, Front foran leadership Independent, Neutral,Peaceful, and theNationalUnited noncommunist groups: the Khmer People’s National Liberation Front (KPNLF), under the an antigovernment alliance, theCoalition Government ofDemocraticKampuchea, with two forming an armedresistance, started Rouge and Vietnam.TheKhmer state) Rouge-controlled Khmer the of name (the Kampuchea Democratic between 1977, to 1975 from conflict, border National Assembly, but coming within four percentage points of losing the popular vote. The popular the losing of points percentage four within coming Assembly, but National elections were held peacefully, with the ruling CPP claiming victory, winning 68 seats in the and internationalobservers,domestic numberof electionirregularitiesby 2013detected the reconciliation process. peaceful transition of power. This exacerbates the already difficult and complicated postconflict conditionsinplaceforany the nothave andCambodiaarguablydoes uppower, CPP willnotgive ruling that the believes opposition volatile. The to be continues process political However, the peacebuilding. of decade second the during declined significantly elections national of time As shownin elections. 1998NationalAssembly the since ment at least661deaths. thecivilian population, resultingin of guerrillawarfare,theKhmerRougetargeted its strategy Source: The 2013 elections indicated the growing polarization of Cambodian politics. Despite a high the growingpolarization ofCambodianpolitics.Despite indicated The 2013 elections and 1988“UCDPBattle-Related DeathsDatasetv. 5” Prepared basedon estimatesprovided by“PRIOBattleDeathsv. 3.0” 10 000 15 000 20 000 25 000 30 000 35 000 5 000 People’s Party (CPP), led by Prime Minister Hun Sen, has controlled the govern the by PrimeMinisterHunSen,hascontrolled Party (CPP), led People’s were heldunderUNsupervisionin 1993. Cambodia sinceelections The Cambodia in peacebuilding of decades two in2013marked elections Assembly National National politicalconflict
0 1979 3