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Cambodia
Area: 181,035 sq km (69,898 sq mi)
Population: 11,438,000 (March 1998 census). 14.1m (UN, 2003)
Capital City: Phnom Penh (1m)
People: Khmer (90 to 95%), with the remainder being Chinese, Vietnamese, Cham or about one dozen other smaller ethnic groups.
Languages: Khmer/Cambodian
Religion(s): The population is largely Buddhist, with a small Islamic minority.
Currency: Riel
Major political parties: Cambodian People's Party (CPP), National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful and Cooperative Cambodia (FUNCINPEC) (acronym from French initials), Sam Rainsy Party (SRP)
Government: Constitutional Monarchy
Head of State: King Norodom Sihamoni
Prime Minister: Hun Sen
Foreign Minister: Hor Namhong
Membership of international groupings/organisations: United Nations (UN), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Group of 77 at the United Nations (G77), Non Aligned Movement (NAM), Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). GEOGRAPHY
Cambodia, with an area of 69,898 square miles, is bordered by Thailand, Laos and Vietnam and has a coastline on the Gulf of Thailand. Apart from the Cardamom Mountains in the South-west and uplands in the North-east, the country is predominantly flat. The scarp slope of the Dangrek Mountains marks much of the northern border with Thailand. In the centre of the country is the largest lake in South East Asia, the Tonle Sap. The capital, Phnom Penh, is located at the confluence of the Mekong, Tonle Sap and Bassac rivers. Beyond the river valleys the land is frequently infertile, because rainfall is scant and there is little irrigation. Most Cambodians live in rural areas, cultivating rice as their staple crop.
HISTORY
Recent History
Cambodia was governed from Hanoi as part of French Indo-China from 1864 until 1954 when King Norodom Sihanouk, who had been placed on the throne by the French in 1941, achieved full independence. He ruled Cambodia until 1970, when Marshal Lon Nol ousted him in a coup. Prince Sihanouk, as he was known from 1955 to 1993, then linked up with the Khmer Rouge, an extreme left-wing party, led by Pol Pot which ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 when it is estimated around 1.7m Cambodians (over 20% of the population) died from starvation, disease or execution. At the end of 1978 Vietnam invaded Cambodia and established the People’s Republic of Kampuchea, later renamed the State of Cambodia (SOC).
The Khmer Rouge regrouped their forces along the Thai border and waged a war against the Phnom Penh government. The Vietnamese eventually withdrew their forces from Cambodia in 1989, paving the way for the Paris Peace Agreements of 1991 and the establishment of UNTAC (the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia – the largest ever UN peacekeeping operation). FUNCINPEC (Royalists) won a narrow victory in the UNTAC organised democratic elections in 1993 and formed a coalition government with the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) but heavy fighting broke out between the two coalition partners in 1997 in advance of the 1998 elections, won by CPP. A new coalition government between CPP and FUNCINPEC was formed in November 1998 with Hun Sen as Prime Minister. A Senate was established in 1998.
Longer Historical Perspective
The Khmer people have lived in the Indochina area for at least two thousand years. The Khmer Kingdom, with its capital at Angkor from around 900 AD, was the most powerful mainland Southeast Asian state for most of the period from 802 to 1432. The Kingdom enjoyed its heyday around 1200, when it included much of present-day Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. From 1432 the Kingdom declined, losing much territory to increasingly powerful neighbours.
POLITICS
Recent Political Developments
Inaugral local elections were held in February 2002 as part of the Cambodian government's drive towards decentralisation. CPP won a landslide victory. They also won the more recent National Elections which were held on 27 July 2003. CPP gained 73 of the 123 parliamentary seats, FUNCINPEC 26 and the SRP 24. But CPP failed to win the requisite two third majority in Parliament to form a new government. Negotiations to form a new coalition government concluded in July 2004 after nearly a year of political stalemate. The new coalition faces a backlog of work built up during the impasse.
During the past five years Cambodia has enjoyed much more political stability and territorial unity than for decades, with a greater sense of security amongst the general population. The government improved its image by successfully staging a number of high level international meetings, but then suffered a serious blow as a result of anti-Thai riots in January 2003 when the Thai Embassy and much Thai-owned property were destroyed by rioters. The Government is approaching the handling of the Khmer Rouge, who effectively collapsed as a significant threat in 1997/8, with greater confidence and on 6 June 2003 signed an Agreement with the UN on a Khmer Rouge Tribunal to try those Khmer Rouge leaders responsible for human rights abuses during Khmer Rouge rule (1975-1979). Despite international concerns over some aspects of the agreement it is hoped that with the good will of all sides these issues will be resolved and a Khmer Rouge Tribunal will be established soon. A legislative amendment was passed by the Cambodia parliament on 5 October allowing the formation of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal; discussions continue with the UN over key issues such as funding.
ECONOMY
Basic Economic Facts
GDP: US$ 3.8bn (2002)
GDP per head: US$278 (2002)
GDP (PPP) per head: US$1,446 (2000)
Annual Growth: 5% per annum (2003 estimate)
Inflation: 3.5% (2003)
Major Industries: Agriculture, fishing and forestry, mining, construction, garment manufacture
Major trading partners: United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan
Exchange Rate: £1=7,180 Riel (January 2004)
Cambodia remains largely agrarian with one in three Cambodians living below the poverty line. Less than 54% of Cambodians are economically productive. The infrastructure is rudimentary and the country remains dependent on external donor funding for over a third of its expenditure. Since 1998 the economy has improved slowly, but there has been little noticeable improvement in rural areas. Total foreign investment in 2002 was US$236.6 million. Garment production is the largest manufacturing sector. Protracted problems of revenue collection, systemic corruption and smuggling remain.
Progress has been made with Thailand over territorial rights to the disputed oil and gas fields in the Gulf of Thailand. It is hoped that Cambodia's membership of the World Trade Organisation will accelerate reform of the tax and customs systems and help promote fiscal and corporate governance generally.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Cambodia's Relations with Neighbours
Cambodia enjoys cordial bilateral relations with all its regional neighbours. Relations with Thailand however deteriorated sharply in January 2003 when anti-Thai riots erupted in Phnom Penh leading to the burning down of the Thai Embassy and the premises of a number of Thai businesses. Relations have now returned to normal. Since Cambodia joined the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1999, its foreign policy has been largely regionally-focused.
Cambodia's Relations with the International Community
Cambodia benefited enormously from the involvement of the UN, in particular the UK and the other members of the Security Council, in reaching a settlement of its civil war in the early 1990s. Thereafter the international community particularly China, Japan, the US and the EU have invested heavily in the reconstruction of the country, which was severely damaged by 20 years of civil war.
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