Suchergebnisse

Drawing data from multiple sources, Un argues that following the 1993 United Nations intervention to promote democracy, the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) perpetuated a patronage state weak in administrative capacity but strong in coercive capacity. This enabled them to maintain the presence of electoral authoritarianism, but increased political awareness among the public, the rise in political activism among community-based organizations and a united opposition led to the emergence of a counter-movement. Sensing that this counter-movement might be unstoppable, the CPP has returned Cambodia to authoritarianism, a move made possible in part by China's pivot to Cambodia.

Cambodia in 2012 mourned the death of its revered former King Norodom Sihanouk. The government was criticized for land conflicts and the deterioration of political liberties. Otherwise, the country enjoyed strong economic growth and basked in the international spotlight as Association of Southeast Asian Nations chair. Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party further consolidated its power, sidelining opposition parties and coopting disgruntled workers and farmers.

Cambodia's economy in 2011 recovered from the global economic downturn with a rise in garment exports. Hun Sen and the ruling Cambodian People's Party further consolidated power via the exercise of rule by law and patronage politics. Relations with Thailand returned to normal; ties with China strengthened with increased assistance and trade. The Khmer Rouge Tribunal proceeded amid allegations of political interference by the Cambodian government, making the further expansion of indictments unlikely.

This article examines the quality of democracy in Cambodia, arguing that Cambodian democracy since its inception in 1993 has evolved from unstructured competitive authoritarianism toward an authoritarianism characterized by the presence of a stable hegemonic party system wherein the minimum criteria for democracy have been severely curtailed. Although the quality of democracy has declined, the regime's legitimacy has risen, due mainly to sustained economic growth and political stability, and increased patronage-based development. Economic performance-based legitimacy has become path-dependent; without growth the ruling party's legitimacy might be called into question. Given the current political, social, economic and international contexts that favor economic growth with political stability, Cambodia will sustain a dominant party authoritarian regime with limited quality of democracy.

With a strong economy and newly acquired confidence following three decades of rapid economic expansion, China has pursued an outward looking policy based upon foreign direct investment, development assistance and trade targeting particularly the developing world. Such expansion has drawn concerns over its impact on human rights, democratization and the environment. This paper assesses these concerns by examining Sino-Cambodia relations over the past sixteen years. It concludes that while trade, development assistance, and investment have had positive effects on Cambodia's economic development, concerns that these engagements have derailed deeper democratization in Cambodia are not deterministic. Cambodia's authoritarian trajectory is less a product of China's engagement and more of the Cambodian elites' defiance of Western efforts at democratic promotion and belief in state developmentalism—economic prosperity with tight political control.