ABSTRACT
In the first part of Chapter 5, Cambodia, the political history of the country is recounted from late French Rule and its independence from colonial rule in 1954. This account then offers extended analysis of the tragic 1975–79 rule by the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime, including discussion of its practices, ideology, leadership, and defeat at the hands of Vietnamese occupiers. Analysis of the transition from Vietnamese occupation to full sovereignty by 1993 following United Nations tutelage then follows, as well as coverage of major political developments in Cambodia through 2019. The latter part of the chapter examines the country’s key political institutions and social groups, namely the monarchy, strongman Hun Sen, political parties, the international aid community, and the Extraordinary Chambers of the Courts of Cambodia, ECCC (the tribunal trying former Khmer Rouge leaders). A section devoted to state-society relations and democracy assesses Hun Sen’s recent dismantling of pluralist democracy and electoral institutions. A brief examination of the country’s economy and development follows noting Cambodia’s endemic economic inequality and the growing economic influence of China. The chapter closes with an overview of Cambodia’s foreign policy and relations with the United Nations and international aid community, China, ASEAN, and the U.S. A map of Cambodia is in included for geographical reference.
