ABSTRACT
It might seem paradoxical to consider the evolution of modern Cambodian politics as a continuous and at times repetitive process, because it appears mainly as a succession of brutal changes, involving merciless replacements of ruling elites. But these total and abrupt changes, sometimes labelled revolutions, occurred in a distinctively Khmer way that calls for some reflection on what Cambodian politics is really about. Politically, Cambodia should be first understood as part of a cultural world that makes it foreign to both Western values and Chinese (or sinicized) political and administrative traditions. Politics in Theravada societies is supposed to be chiefly concerned with the morality of the leaders and the welfare brought by their action. The introduction of a parliamentary democracy in the aftermath of World War II provided an entirely new political arena. Old courtiers and traditional administrators had now to compete with wealthy businesspeople and young French-educated intellectuals, who heralded the emergence of a still tiny local middle class.
