Cambodia: From UN-Led Peace-Building to Post-Genocidal Authoritarianism

Abstract

Following the genocidal reign of the Khmer Rouge, the Kingdom of Cambodia has experienced a threefold transformation in the last 25 years: from civil war to postwar reconstruction, from a socialist one-party state to a multiparty electoral system, and from a centrally planned economy to a market economy. After the end of the UNTAC period in 1993, the country saw changes to its government, politics, economy, and society. Most importantly, the one-party state of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) was replaced by a multiparty system, which included regular elections, multiparty competition, and an emerging civil society. However, most political scientists seem to agree that competitive multiparty elections coexist with tenuous civil and political rights and weak horizontal and vertical accountability and the governing party remains in firm control of the electoral process. So far, the regime successfully combines repression, legitimation, and co-optation. Most importantly, the stability of Hun Sen’s government depends on his ability to buy the support of his winning coalition by granting access to private goods. This allows them to keep repression to a minimum and avoid international pressure. Dependent on Western donor assistant, it is unclear what would happen in the case of a severe regime crisis. This chapter provides a systematic overview of the political actors, institutions, and dynamics of Cambodia’s political system and summarizes its history and recent developments.