Cambodia: a short history of trouble
PHNOM PENH — Cambodia is a country often neglected by much of the western world, so too is it’s violent and fragile past.
Situated between Thailand and Vietnam, Cambodia was once a powerhouse within Southeast Asia which has since been diminished by both foreign interference and ill-fortune. Initiated in 1863, French colonial rule saved the country from being split up between its two rivalling neighbours, however, this is the limit to which foreign interference has aided the country.
In 1953, after 80 years of the aforementioned French rule, Cambodia peacefully gained its independence. Nevertheless, the French absence brought with it a power vacuum that propelled the country into a state of political instability. It was during this period that the Khmer Rouge, the infamous communist guerrilla group headed by Pol Pot, was able to flourish in the border regions close to Vietnam and spread its radical ideals. The group believed that a tectonic overhaul in the state of Cambodian society was required and demanded that the country return to its primitive origins, disregarding modern culture and technology. However, although dangerous in their intent, the group was for the time being marginalised within mainstream politics.
As the war in Vietnam raged on, the US set its sights on a series of Viet Cong transport routes that stretched across the border into Cambodia, a neutral county. In 1969, oblivious to the potential outcome from such a rash reaction, the US began a secretive and highly illegal bombing campaign in Cambodia, known as Operation Menu, which lasted until 1970. The campaign saw 2.7 million tonnes of explosives dropped on Cambodia, over 1 million tonnes more than Japan received during WWII, and resulted in an estimated 100,000 deaths and the displacement of around 1/3 of the population.
This was the catalyst that the Khmer Rouge had been waiting for as it helped ignite a civil war within the country which claimed the lives of a further 300,000. The Khmer Rouge were able to capitalise on the growing anti-American sentiment and posed an ideological opposition to the west with their unique strand of communism. After seizing Phnom Penh in 1975 the group finally swept into power and was able to enter Cambodia into its darkest chapter.
Over the next three years, a quarter of Cambodia’s population was killed under the highly oppressive and paranoid Khmer Rouge regime. Prison camps, such as the notorious S-21 in Phnom Penh, housed the brutal torture and execution of all who entered. Those imprisoned faced no chance of redemption and were at times committed to months of horrific torture before their inevitable murder. Swarms of the now infamous ‘killing fields’ were also created, dotted across the country, which to this day leave a harrowing mark of the suffering that the Cambodian people underwent.
“We will burn the old grass and the new will grow” — Pol Pot
However, Pol Pot and the other leaders within the Khmer Rouge believed that these brutal acts were essential for the saviour of Cambodia. All of this was in the pursuit of returning Cambodia to the ‘Year Zero’. The intelligentsia, such as doctors, teachers and translators, were all killed in an attempt to destroy tradition and culture and to return Cambodia to a more primitive state. Money, medicine and the arts were all shunned during this period whilst those living in urban areas were bussed out to live in rural towns and begin work on communal farms.
Although the Khmer Rouge were only able to hold power for three years, the damage that they inflicted has been lasting. According to the World Bank in 1993, Cambodia was ahead of Vietnam in regard to GDP per capita with a far higher $254 compared to Vietnam’s $182, although it remained lower than Laos, which was at $287. However, as Vietnam has been able to recover from its devastating years of war, the clear setbacks imposed by the Khmer Rouge, both in regard to population size and expertise, have become abundantly clear and have left Cambodia lagging behind its neighbours, now with a GDP per capita of just $1,512 compared to Vietnam’s $2,564 and Laos’s $2,568.
Unfortunately, the exploitation of Cambodia continues to this day. Although the country is showing signs of recovery, it has become yet another victim of China’s financial influence. As seen throughout much of the developing world, China is pumping huge amounts of investment and aid into the country, allowing it to gain significant influence over the government and form economic colonies in areas such as Sihanoukville, a once quiet beach-side town turned Chinese casino hub. Although such investment has also allowed for radical improvements in infrastructure and development, Cambodia remains hugely dependent on China’s financial lifeline, providing Xi Jinping with significant influence over the country.
Furthermore, it seems that political stability in the region remains a distant aspiration. This claim was made blindingly clear during the 2018 “sham” election in which the ruling Cambodian People’s Party claimed a dubious victory with all 125 parliamentary seats. This enabled Prime Minister Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge soldier, to continue in the position which he has now held for more than two decades.
Although development is taking place in Cambodia, slowly but surely, it remains a depressing truth that the shackles imposed by those who came before remain present to this day. The continued rule of Prime Minister Hun Sen gives credence to such a view and suggests that renewed faith in their democratic system is required to restore stability and progress.
With talk that the EU is planning to end their preferential trade deal with Cambodia, as a result of recent human rights abuses, there remains hope that Mr Sen will be forced to re-evaluate his current behaviour out of economic necessity; close to 50% of all Cambodian exports are sent to the EU. Nevertheless, such a move is yet to materialise. As a result, Mr Sen has been able to expand his power in the country with little foreign intervention.
Unfortunately, it seems that the same distractions which saw Cambodia sidelined in the 1970s continue to plague the country to this day as much of the west appears to neglect the injustices taking place. Until major trading partners, such as the US and the EU, use their financial power to put an end to the current abuse, it seems that the people of Cambodia will remain at the whim of Mr Sen and his Chinese allies.
