The Cambodia History - Essay Example

Cambodia, on the borders of Thailand (west and north west), Vietnam (east), Laos (north east) and with its south west coast running along the Gulf ofThailand, covers an area of 181,000 square kilometers and other than mountains in the north and southwest is generally comprised of low, flat plains (Visiting Arts, n.d.). The weather is tropical with minimal variations in temperature throughout the year; December to April is the dry season, and May to November is the monsoon season (Central Intelligence Agency, 2010). Cambodia has an estimated population of just under fourteen and a half million, 22% of which lived in urban areas and 63.8% being between the ages of 15 and 64 years. Population growth rate is an estimated 1.765%, with an estimated birth rate of 25.73 births per 1000 population, and a death rate of 8.08% per 1000 population. Sex ratio of population is 0.98 males to every female, with a life expectancy at birth of 58 years for males and over 54 years for females (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 2009). Religions practiced in country include Buddhism 96.4% and Muslim 2.1% ( Kwintessential, n.d.) and languages spoken include Khmer (95%) which is the official language, French and English; 73.6% of people over the age of 15 years are literate and school life expectancy is 10 years for boys and 9 years for girls (Intermundi, 2010). Cambodia’s accounted history goes back as far as the first century BC when culture was heavily influenced by India and known as the Funan Kingdom; between the ninth and twelfth centuries powerful kingdoms were formed by the Khmer people, wherein the large capital city and its temples of Angkor were built, but in the following 600 years the empire declined because of feuds with Thailand and Vietnam (Cambodian Communities Out of Crisis, n.d.). It became a French protectorate in the middle of the nineteenth century, fell to the Japanese during World War II and finally gained independence in 1954, from which time Cambodia was ruled by Prince Sihanouk who abdicated in 1955 to form a political party that was elected by the people; later in 1960, he became prime minister, and severed diplomatic relations with the US in 1965 and permitted the communist regime of Vietnam to establish bases in Cambodia (Asian info, n.d.). By 1969, the Cambodian economy was flailing, so Sihanouk re-established associations with America, who began bombing the Cambodian jungles in an attempt to flesh out the communist Vietnamese (Cambodian Communities Out of Crisis, n.d.). In 1970 Sihanouk was overthrown by the then Prime Minister, General Lon Noi, in which time the South Vietnamese invaded Cambodia in search of communist Vietnamese from the north, and America withdrew from bombing. Sihanouk fled to the jungles and established the Khmer Rouge government, which usurped the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, in 1975 and set up the Democratic Kampuchea (DK) government; at the same time the North Vietnamese captured South Vietnam (Asian info, n.d.). Under the brutal rule of the Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot, urban residents were forced to hard labour in rural areas, while those who were educated, religious or regarded as being opposed to the regime were tortured and killed; two million Cambodians became dispossessed (Cambodian Communities Out of Crisis, n.d.) and more than twenty percent of the population were murdered. (Asian info, n.d.). The communist Vietnamese captured Phnom Penh in 1979 and founded the People’s Republic of Kampuchea (PRK) but it was the DK, still led by Pol Pot, who had attained asylum in Thailand that the United Nations (UN) acknowledged (Cambodian Communities Out of Crisis, n.d.). It was not until then that the magnitude of atrocities inflicted by the Khmer Rouge manifested; apart from the huge number of homeless and murdered, the country’s infrastructure had been annihilated (Asian info, n.d.). The cold war ended in 1989 with the Vietnamese leaving and the then prime minister Hun Sen deciding to abandon socialism in favour of appealing for foreign investment (Asian info, n.d.). In 1991, for the first time in forty years, competitive politics was established with the Paris Peace Agreement and the establishment of a Supreme National Council with Sihanouk as chairman (Visiting Arts, n.d.). Later in 1993, a coalition government (without the Khmer Rouge) was launched, which included the royalist party FUNCINPEC led by the first prime minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh, and the Cambodian People’s Party led by the second prime minister Hun Sen (Asian info, n.d.); Cambodia became known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, a monarchy was recreated and Sihanouk became king, after which the DK lost their place in the UN (Asian info, n.d.). After a number of accusations by Hun Sen, Ranariddh was found guilty in 1998 of collaboration and smuggling arms to the Khmer Rouge but he was pardoned; after a general election and further factional opposition and arguments Hun Sen became the only prime minister and Ranariddh the president of the national assembly (Visiting Arts, n.d.). Today the government remains a “multiparty Liberal democracy under a constitutional monarchy” (Info please, n.d.) with Hun Sen as prime minister and Norodom Sihamoni as king, and the European International Union (EIU) (2010) reports that Hun Sen and his CPP will remain in power at least until 2011). National identity in Cambodia was first founded by the French who regulated governments and religious associations, initiated an education system and promoted the monarchy; later in 1993 after years of war, turmoil and socialism this identity was recreated (Countries and their Culture, n.d.). Angkor Wat, an ancient and antiquated Khmer temple is regarded as the most significant cultural symbol by Cambodia and every flag includes an illustration of the icon, and another essential symbol of nationality and culture, classical dance, also incorporates movements and costumes that date back to historical beliefs in Angkor (Countries and their Culture, n.d.). The majority of government funding goes towards restoring Angkor relics and remains, and there is assistance in recording traditional music, maintaining traditional dance and crafting traditional instruments (Countries and their Culture, n.d.). Cambodian crafts include pottery, the weaving of cotton and silk, basketry, silver and gold jewelry, and graphic arts (Countries and their Culture, n.d.). Filmmaking, which is minimal and based on very small budgets, was revitalized in the 1980s, and television is mostly comprised of Hong Kong and Thai soap operas and films which are dubbed in Khmer (Countries and their Culture, n.d.). Oral history and storytelling play an important role in Cambodian culture, which are often recited by singing with an instrument similar to a banjo (Countries and their Culture, n.d.). While the Cambodia food staples are fish and rice, restaurants usually serve Chinese food with no development of traditional Khmer cuisine. Food is generally eaten in shifts and on a floor mat at home, with guests and men served first before women and children (Countries and their Culture, n.d.). The predominant religion, followed by around 90% of the population in Cambodia, is Therevada Buddhism, also known as Hinayana Buddhism and is considered the state religion in the Cambodian Consitution, but animism prevails within hillside tribes; in the south east of Cambodia people practice the Islamic faith and in Phnom Penh and other urban regions there is an increase in Christianity (Kwintessential, n.d.). One of the poorest countries in the world, “Cambodia is ranked 145 out of 183 economies” (IFC, 2009, p.2); 30% of Cambodia’s population lives on or beneath the poverty line; although the economy improved a little in the late 1980s and early 1990s, because of internal disputes it slowed down again. Between 1998 and 2009 Cambodia was allowed to join the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Since 2000 The United Nations and the World Bank, together with other international aid agencies have been helping the Cambodian government to set the economy in the right direction; in fact international donations account for 90% of investment in Cambodia (The Fred Hollows Foundation, 2010). Due to development in agriculture, tourism, construction and the manufacture of clothing, the economy in Cambodia increased around 10% per annum between 2004 and 2007; in 2008 the GDP fell below 7% because of the global economic problems (Central Intelligence Agency, 2010). When the WTO textile and clothing agreement finished in 2005, Cambodia had to vie with Bangladesh, Vietnam, India and China, all low cost countries, for a part of the clothing industry which currently accounts for over 70% of exports. A new source of income became apparent in 2005 when oil was found within Cambodian waters, and mining for bauxite, iron, gems and gold also began in the north of the country (Sciaroni, 2010). A Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) was signed in 2006 between Cambodia and America and discussions are continuing; due to global need rubber exports grew by 25% in 2009, and the number of tourists exceeded 2 million between 2007 and 2008 (European International Union, 2010). Cambodian export markets are confined to America, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and the EU and reflect their “narrow export base and close proximity to the supplying countries (i.e. raw materials and finished products)” (Cambodian Ministry of Commerce, 2006, p.4). According to Sokchea (2009), the economic size of their trading partners plays a significant role in Cambodia’s foreign trade, as too does its own GDP. The five countries supplying the most are China (HongKong), Thailand, Taiwan, China (PRC) and Singapore (Cambodian Ministry of Commerce, 2006). As an country that has concentrated on export markets since the early 1990s Cambodia is in dire need of “sound trade policies to promote its exports as well as economic growth” ( Sokchea, 2009, p.18). Hun Sen (2010) (cited in AKP) said that the main issue for Cambodia is to determine ways to improve their competitiveness, and that they have to find new markets and funding to help in their development. The future outlook for Cambodia, in terms of its economy, is likely to moderately improve in 2010 (4.1%) and 2011 (5%) according to the EIU, a respite from the 15.1% reduction encountered in 2009 (European International Union, 2010); emerging inflation in 2010 calls for a tightening of monetary policies; personal disposable income will increase with the increase in prices for agricultural products and within the clothing and textile industries; direct foreign investment will recover and Cambodia, with its foreign-exchange reserves should be able to avoid financial difficulties (European International Union, 2010). The situation today is not good and the global financial crisis has decreased the need for Cambodian exports, the lack of credit is creating a decline in building construction, and the people have experienced a damaging food and oil crisis (Central Intelligence Agency, 2010); 60,000 jobs have already been cut in the clothing segment, 25,000 in construction and tourism is also declining (European International Union, 2010). The UN is concerned that such economic decline will create severe and broad implications for Cambodia’s women and children (Neate, 2009). Women today account for most of the labour market and are thus considered as crucial to the economy; if they lose their incomes it is the families and more specifically the children who will suffer in terms of poverty and hunger (Neate, 2009). The rural population rely on money from mostly female family members who work in urban areas as their means of existence, but with job losses more and more of these bread winners are going back to their villages; thus, more and more women and children live in extremely poor conditions and in order to survive children are extracted from their education in order to increase incomes, family possessions including land are being sold, women lacking nutrition and health care causes more natal deaths and women and children are more vulnerable to sexual misuse and trafficking (Neate, 2009). Added to the systemic problems caused by years of upheaval and resulting in untold administrative corruption, together with a society where women are traditionally considered compliant to men, makes it almost impossible for women to receive equal status with men in today’s Cambodia. In fact they are enduring an increase in gender related violence, poverty and exploitation (LICADHO, 2004). In an effort to lessen the dilemma of women, the Cambodian government signed a UN Treaty – The Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and was recognized within the constitution in 1992; in reality however, due to a weak legal system, although now protected by law actual enforcement is minimal (LICADHO, 2004). Over half of Cambodia’s population is under the age of twenty one and all are affected by the legacy of disaster inflicted by the Khmer Rouge, with the majority living with poverty, neglect and abuse. In Phnom Penh alone there are an estimated 12,000 homeless children surviving on the streets with no education, access to quality health care or any basic needs for survival; they live, beg, sleep, scavenge and play in a community of their own making. Many of these children live and work among the rubbish of a large garbage site on the outskirts of the city; they live in make shift tents atop the rubbish with no sanitation at all and work for hours looking for garbage that can be sold and recycled. Cambodia’s chief challenges over the next ten years will be to develop an economically sound environment and one which will foster sufficient private sector employment to manage the demographic (rural versus urban) imbalance, and with over half the population being under 21 years of age they need to increase opportunities for education and technical skills, especially in rural areas with no real evidence of any infrastructure. They need to ensure women and children are free of fear of physical and sexual violence, discrimination and subservience. The legal system must be strengthened, and government corruption eliminated in order to ensure a system that is equal for all its citizens. Perhaps the answer lies in the following quote from Douglas Broderick on behalf of the United Nations County Team: “Investing in women and children is the best way to ensure long-term prosperity. There is real opportunity in this crisis to transform ongoing vulnerability into sustainable futures for all Cambodians. Social safety nets in health, education, food, and work can help break the poverty cycle and we must not lose sight of this focus” (Neate, 2009, p.1). Reference List Asian Information http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/cambodia/pro-history.htm Central Intelligence Agency, (2010) The World FactBook: Cambodia https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cb.html Cambodian Communities Out of Crisis: from killing fields to living fields http://www.cambcomm.org.uk/history.html Cambodian league for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights, (2004) The situation on women in Cambodia http://www.licadho-cambodia.org/programs/womanoffice.php Cambodian Ministry of Commerce, (2006) Cambodia http://www.unescap.org/tid/publication/t&ipub2278_cam.pdf Countries and their cultures, http://www.everyculture.com/Bo-Co/Cambodia.html European International Union, (2010), Country report Cambodia, January. http://www.reportbuyer.com/countries/africa/country_report_cambodia_january_2010.html The Fred Hollows Foundation, (2010) Cambodia: Facts and figures (sourced from DFAT Vision 2010) http://www.hollows.org/Cambodia/Facts/ Index mundi, (2010), Cambodia Demographics Profile http://www.indexmundi.com/cambodia/demographics_profile.html Info Please Cambodia http://www.infoplease.com/country/profiles/cambodia.html International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, (2009) http://www.ifrc.org/where/appeals/allappeals.asp?iYear=0&xFlag=2 Kwintessential, An overview of the religious beliefs, concepts and history of Cambodian people and getting to know the origins of the different religions that exist in Cambodia. http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/articles/article/Cambodia/Cambodian-Religion/1685 Neate, B. (2009), In Cambodia, women and children hit hardest by economic crisis, United Nations development programme. http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/2009/april/in-cambodia-women-and-children-hit-hardest-by-economic-crisis.en Sciaroni, B. (2010) Investment climate in Cambodia from the private sector’s perspective. Paper presented at The Cambodian Forum. http://www.iseas.edu.sg/cambodia_forum/panel2/Brett%20Sciaroni.pdf Sokchea, K. (2006) An analysis of Cambodia’s Trade Flow: a gravity model. Paper presented at the 9th Socio-cultural research congress conference, pp.1-24. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1008121 AKP, (2010) Cambodian Prime Minister Presides Over the 2010 Cambodia Outlook Conference March 18 http://www.un.int/cambodia/Bulletin_Files/March10/Cambodian_Prime_Minister.pdf Visiting Arts: cultural profiles project – Cambodia http://www.culturalprofiles.net/cambodia/Directories/Cambodia_Cultural_Profile/-28.html World Bank of International Finance Corporation (IFC), (2009) Doing Business 2010: Cambodia www.doingbusiness.org Read More