Capital: Phnom Penh
Print | Close
| Cambodia
Capital: Phnom Penh Print | Close |
|
|
Introduction Decades of war and unrest have destroyed much of Cambodia's infrastructure, caused the displacement of millions of people and left a legacy of millions of landmines scattered throughout the country. Cambodia relies heavily on foreign aid and is still struggling to come to terms with the horrors of the 'Killing Fields' in the 1970s. The country has enjoyed relative political stability since 1998, encouraging the return of foreign investment and boosting tourism, particularly to the famed Angkor temples.
Issues
History Modern-day Cambodia is based on the Khmer empire, which ruled much of what is now Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand during the Angkorian period (9th to 14th centuries AD). After the decline of the empire, the Vietnamese and Thais invaded Cambodia, fighting for control. Another war broke out in the 1830s and Cambodia turned to France in 1863, eventually signing a treaty with France that gave it a protectorate status. In 1884 Cambodia signed an agreement transforming it into a full French colony, and remained that way until it declared independence in 1953. By the early 1970s the Cambodian rebel movement, the Khmer Rouge, had assumed control over large parts of the countryside. On 17 April, 1975, Phnom Penh fell to the rebels, led by Pol Pot. The regime introduced a radical policy of restructuring society, abolishing currency and emptying cities to provide rural labourers. It is estimated up to 2 million people died or were killed during the Khmer Rouge's rule. In January 1979, Vietnamese soldiers entered Phnom Penh and toppled the Pol Pot government. The Vietnamese installed their own government and proclaimed the People's Republic of Kampuchea (PRK). The Vietnamese drove the Khmer Rouge to the Thai border , sparking 13 years of fighting with Khmer Rouge remnants and other factions. The warring factions finally agreed on a voluntary ceasefire in May 1991 and a peace agreement was signed in Paris later that year. UN-backed elections held in May 1993 were generally regarded as a success, with over 90 per cent of the 4.5 million electors turning out to vote. The election resulted in a coalition government, led jointly by the head of the royalist FUNCINPEC party, 'First Prime Minister' Prince Norodom Ranariddh, and 'Second Prime Minister' Hun Sen of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP). Relations between the two were strained and by 1997 the parties were openly competing for the support of armed groups to secure a military advantage. A direct military clash occurred in 1997, forcing Prince Ranariddh into temporary exile. National elections were held again in July 1998, which Hun Sen's CPP won easily. The poll was marred by violence and allegations of intimidation and vote rigging, but international observers declared it generally free and fair. A period of instability followed and the political deadlock was finally broken when FUNCINPEC agreed to form a coalition with the CPP. 1998 also saw the final collapse of the Khmer Rouge, with the surrender of the remnants of the regime. Another election was held in July 2003, and once again Hun Sen's CPP won the most votes, but did not gain the two-thirds majority required to rule outright. The ensuing political deadlock lasted for almost a year, until the CPP and FUNCINPEC again agreed on a coalition. In October 2004 Cambodia's National Assembly ratified the necessary legislation to start prosecuting the surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge. The pact, backed by the United Nations, was agreed upon in 2003 after six years of negotiations. A joint Cambodian-UN tribunal was finally formed in 2006, with Cambodia handing over part of its military headquarters for the trials, which are expected to begin by mid 2007. Just days after the necessary legislation for the trials was ratified in October, 2004, Cambodia's King Norodom Sihanouk annouced his abdication from the throne after 60 years of public life. He was replaced by his son, Norodom Sihamoni. Government Cambodia is a constitutional monarchy and the king is head of state, but he does not exercise executive power over the kingdom. During the king's absence or illness, the president of the senate becomes acting head of state. The king appoints a prime minister from the party that wins the election. Cambodia has two chambers in parliament: the lower house - the National Assembly - is made up of 120 members; and the Senate is made up of 61 elected members. The Council of Ministers (cabinet) is formed by members of the Royal Government. There are two more layers of government - provincial and communal. The provinces are administered by governors, with provincial governors and chiefs of districts appointed by the prime minister. Chiefs of communes were elected for the first time in 2002. These elections established a new democratically-elected tier of government called commune councils, replacing the 20-year-old communist model, in which commune chiefs were appointed by a government minister. Cambodia has a three-tiered judicial system: the trial court, the appeals court and the supreme court. Each province and Phnom Penh city has its own court. Judges and magistrates are appointed, promoted and dismissed by the Supreme Council of the Magistracy, which is chaired by the king. Economy Cambodia is one of the world's least developed countries and relies heavily on international aid. The country's economic infrastructure was devastated by the civil war of the early 1970s, the rule of the Khmer Rouge regime between 1975 and 1979 and continued civil war in the 1980s. Cambodia's diplomatic isolation stifled growth in the first half of the 1980s. By the late 1980s the government gradually moved towards free market economic policies, and growth accelerated. In the late 1990s the economy slowed dramatically because of civil violence and the World Bank and IMF pulled out of the country because of concerns about economic management. Both have since resumed multi-million dollar loans and programs. Cambodia receives hundreds of millions of dollars in aid each year from foreign governments. Donors currently fund about 90 per cent of all public investment in the country. Cambodia is largely a subsistence agriculture-based economy. International trade and investment makes up a very small portion of economic activity, with foreign direct investment mostly concentrated in garment manufacturing, services, construction, tourism and, to a lesser extent, wood processing. Malaysia is the largest investor, followed by China. Tourism is the country's fastest growing industry. |
 |
||
| © ABC 2008 | Close » | |
