CAMBODIA IN 2013: The Winds of Change
Author(s): Khatharya Um
Source: Southeast Asian Affairs , 2014, (2014), pp. 99-116
Published by: ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/44112068
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Southeast Asian Affairs 2014
CAMBODIA IN 2013
The Winds of Change
Khatharya Um
For a Cambodia that has revealed few surprises over the last two decades
2013 proved to be a year of unprecedented volatility. Along with persist
conflicts and violence over land grabs, labour exploitation and environmen
degradation, Cambodia's political landscape of 2013 was taut with tension
Thai-Cambodia relations over the Preah Vihear temple that even the Novem
ruling of the International Court of Justice at the Hague has yet to quell, a
anxieties engendered by the national elections in July that locked the country
a political impasse, setting off mass mobilization at a level it had not seen
decades. King Norodom Sihanouk's cremation in February marked the end of an
era, evoking an ever-looming question about the role and future of the monarc
in Cambodia. The year closed with the theft of the Buddha's relic from Udong, t
historic final resting place for Khmer monarchs, that brings to the fore concern
about corruption, lawlessness, and general moral failings of the nation where t
overwhelming majority of the population is Buddhist.
Politics
While many looked on in anticipation with the customary dose of jadedness, this
year's elections, with eight contending parties, brought both a replay of previous
election dramas as well as some unexpected developments. Despite the nervous
atmosphere that preceded and followed the casting of the ballots on 28 July,
marked by pre-emptive deployment of military police units from the provinces to
the capital, and despite early instances of violence directed at peaceful protestors,
Khatharya Um is a political scientist and Associate Professor in Asian American and
Asian Diaspora Studies and Chair of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of
California Berkeley.
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100
Khatharya
there
was
Party
a
that
noticea
of
once
the
decline
utter
and
donor
appeals
had
as
survey
and
evictees
also
the
In
that
of
three
Fair
were
Elect
refuse
"large-
stations
which
high
government
Assembly,
the
US
the
only
to
claims
one
had
Citing
(CNRP),
t
em
E
into
Constitutional
opposition
t
amb
National
investigation
the
irre
echoed
the
E
organ
Australia,
Though
upon
e
the
detailing
reform
n
some
December,
Union,
e
potenti
"unusually
for
or
a
polling
report
t
missing
reported
vote,
Bri
Among
issue
election
Free
led
affiliation
an
in
the
countries
reportedly
vote,
of
disregard
elections.
party
v
polit
irregularities,
and
an
the
in
suppression
A
ag
system
recognizes
The
by
a
(CPP),
sign
Um
Cou
regar
instance
no
impac
widespread
the
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leading
Cambodia ¡n 2013: The Winds of Change 101
of the Sam Rainsy Party and Kem Sokha's Hu
official results, claiming that instead of 55
the 123 seats, hence a majority. In addition to a
reported voting irregularities, they also deman
whose members are appointed by the Ministry
had boycotted the endorsement of the list of N
were considered CPP loyalists. They also called
body to arbitrate post-election disputes and th
proposed by the United Nations Human Righ
Cambodia. Refusing to yield to the demands an
interpretation regarding the simple majority r
by the monarchy, proceeded to seat the new go
the opposition party. With CNRP elected leg
sworn in on 23 September 2013 in Phnom P
party that had failed to secure any seat in the
secretarial portfolios under the auspices of CPP
symbolic grounds of Angkor, the opposition hel
of the fifty-five officially recognized oppositi
candidates whom CNRP contends had also wo
"not to betray the will of the people ... and to
Although the current parliament compri
government proceeded to pass laws and app
actions that the opposition insists are non-bind
the law-making body in Phnom Penh. Prime
opposition that if they fail to join the new g
would lose their parliamentary seats, though it
follow through with this threat. Meanwhile, an
gathered in Phnom Penh's Freedom Park on 22
protest,4 calling for Prime Minister Hun Sen t
demands that he has steadfastly refused, claimin
means for him to do so. Some fear that CPP re
d'état" may foreshadow a crackdown.
The instability and persisting deadlock promp
community for political resolution. During t
and chaired by King Norodom Sihamoni in S
agreed to honor the royal call for non-violence
for election reforms, and continue trying t
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102
Khatharya
agreement
Hun
Sen
in
focusing
the
on
electio
The
and
political
CPP
123
seats,
given
with
a
90
the
coercive
boyco
by
markedl
challenged
with
by
a
who
mor
mobilizat
working
leadi
marches
death
was
and
of
the
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t
we
an
staging
injustices,
c
since
supporters
injured,
F
protes
country's
the
of
oppositio
Cambodia
peaceful
P
royal
even
popular
100,000
destr
royalist
post-election
the
Rains
start
leading
urban
the
border.
the
Perhaps
the
par
cont
and
him
the
in
by
Cambodia
before
Th
apparatus
setbacks
granted
lon
surp
ruling
incitement
the
the
seats.
distracted
in
in
prepond
itself,
claimed
in
for
post-election
politics
of
r
article.
While
its
future
appeal
reforms.
this
CNRP
parties
July
CNRP's
princi
and
contending
of
Um
i
for
a
h
Venerab
Cambodia in 2013: The Winds of Change 103
stating "I watched people struggle for justic
the killings of Chut Wutty, Venerable [Sam] Bu
myself would have been a small hurt for a g
generation."5
Economy
These post-election instabilities threaten to derail the rapid and sustained growth
that the country has experienced in recent years. Shored up by a strong agricultural
sector, robust export and tourist industries, and a rebounded construction sector,
Cambodia's economic growth in 2103 was estimated at 7.3 per cent.6 Domestic
revenue grew, though at a markedly slower pace of 9.6 per cent in the first
five months of 2013 compared to 24.7 per cent in 20 12.7 Construction reached
US$2 billion in the first half of the year, marking a 29 per cent growth from
the previous year,8 while tourism grew by 24 per cent, with the number of
international visitors reaching 3.58 million. Despite the devastating floods in
August-October that destroyed 113,260 hectares of rice paddy, the agricultural
sector is expected to register a 4.2 per cent growth. Garment manufacturing
remains Cambodia's biggest export industry, employing some 394,200 workers,
according to official records, and generating an estimated US$4.6 billion9 largely
through supply to markets in the US and the European Union. Combined exports
of garments and footwear grew by 11.3 per cent to US$2.3 billion in the first
half of 2013, 10 with exports to the US alone reaching US$2.09 billion in the first
nine months of the year.11
Human Rights, Social Justice and Reforms
Impressive growth notwithstanding, Cambodia remains plagued by endemic and
chronic structural problems, which account for the depth of voter discontent in recent
elections. While Cambodia's economic growth is higher than that of other ASEAN
countries, the rate of poverty reduction is lower than other countries in the region;
in fact, income gap has widened. In the shadow of high risers and mini malls,
one-fifth of the population earn US$1.25 a day. Inflation, pegged at 2.9 per cent,
resulted in rising food prices, impacting especially the urban poor and the landless
with little or no alternative recourse to food. Rampant land grabbing and forced
evictions continue to dislocate communities, with land disputes dominating the
dockets of the politicized and otherwise highly compromised courts. Agro-industrial
development has also intensified land conflict. Rising demand for rubber, especially
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104
Khatharya
from
two
China,
the
over
for
land
of
Euro
Ameri
of
Rights
su
years
concessions,
that
g
an
groups
suc
development
costs.
While
from
in
per
plan
the
by
mi
73
growth
couple
lan
2.6
to
by
demands
a
whi
rubber
granted
rapid
of
spu
where
amounting
are
has
largest
Cambodia
of
Um
aid
increa
dependenc
increased
Watch
i
defores
estimates
tha
local
business
inte
1.5
million
hectare
concessions,13
industry,
small
has
the
scale
forcibly
less
of
457
as
a
ELCs,
at
at
99-year
rule
allow
Sr
the
its
e
soc
a
social
including
providers,
the
of
in
proclaim
conduct
countries
s
US$2-$
Citing
Also
displ
families
Coca-Cola
prod
from
than
result
area.
to
prolif
food
Cambodians
out
have
is
based.
the
source
381,121
lease,
of
are
law.
In
politically
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h
ac
m
c
Cambodia in 2013: The Winds of Change 105
restrictions. Despite the fact that the Camb
ELCs to 10,000 hectares, some 47,370 hectares a
Hoang Anh Già Lai and its affiliates and 161,34
Group,14 just two of the many examples of
than strengthening regulatory measures, Prime
through his land-titling programme Cambodia
hectares of rubber plantations within five year
Furthermore, many of the ELCs have encroa
forest reserves. In Koh Kong, development by
Group of a gambling city-resort almost half th
a 40-mile highway through Botum Sakor's fore
instances of concession-induced destruction
According to the contract, US$1 million was to
the Development of Cambodia, after which Un
the first decade of its lease.17 In Rattanakiri pr
registered complaints against Kao Su Ea Lev BM
company that had been granted an 8,400-hecta
clearing the area and digging a channel threa
villagers rely on for fishing and irrigation, a m
violates both the company's contract with the g
law prohibiting land clearing within 150 metre
Sen Monorom, Mondolkiri province, thousands
of revenue for the local Phnong ethnic minori
way for development. Environmentalists have
plan to build a 400-megawatt hydroelectric dam
a tributary of the Mekong in northern Cambo
an area the size of a small city at risk of inu
80,000-kilometre watershed second only to the
the hydropower project will not only displac
to adversely affect migratory fish species and
While the government has argued the importan
of Cambodia's rural areas, it is unclear how
reserved for domestic use.
Development and expansion of agro-industrial plantations that progressively
encroach upon previously protected reserves not only dislocate communities
physically and threaten their economic security but also their cultural and
spiritual way of life. In Rattanakiri, the Ta Nang temple, long a sacred site for
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106
Khatharya
the
upland
into
Jarai
question
heritage
Illegal
logging
the
in
In
of
lodge
recent
prized
to
an
the
face
newly
of
in
and
impacted
policies,
thes
and
a
non-
Education
longer".19
issues.
On
seizure
of
their
made
politicized
land
issue
to
acquir
resolve
opposition
land
Hu
land.
the
efforts
M
14-year-old
provinces
their
in
Cen
16
a
the
in
Mean
killing
In
co
filed
Minister
for
t
Resolution
Prime
ten
h
Despite
complaints
land
of
laws
released
Dispute
a
donors
thirty-two
report
t
communit
measures.
Legal
C
Planning
policies
the
subm
development
even
h
formed
international
least
wo
appeal
Rights
Urban
the
wi
enterprise,
Human
the
in
th
Protection
Organization
and
a
and
logging
Resource
com
the
sites
journalists
in
Um
parties,
titling
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th
campai
Cambodia in 2013: The Winds of Change 107
to measure and provide land titles to the poor.
not covered under this initiative. The program
prior to the election but is slated to resume
some of the country's poor, the programm
transparency, partisanship, privileging of the rich
protecting the rights of the poor. The official r
of land that had been granted to private com
the people is offset by numerous reports of
of titles and disregard by big companies of
endemic concerns have prompted local and i
as Human Rights Watch, to call for revision
intervention of donor countries and internation
and the United Nations to ensure "adequate
process open to independent monitoring and
for those who are denied title in favor of conc
independent complaint process".20
While land disputes have been the source of
low wages and labour exploitation continue
workers, most of whom are employed in
comparative advantage that Cambodia draws fro
standards, the industry continues to be plague
exploitation, overall lax policy enforcement,
International Labor Organization found that
fact, had become less compliant with health an
seven years ago, with marked decline over the
had disclosed that about one-quarter of its thir
of large scale strikes and mass worker fainting
Some observers have attributed the decline in la
of the garment export industry, at 8 per cent
number of workers employed over 2012-13.
Throughout the country, eighty-three protes
January-July 2013 alone, an unprecedented
Manufacturers Association in Cambodia.23 In Se
in the capital in mass protest over unfair dismi
Singaporean-owned SL Garment Processing, and
and Social Affairs Ministries for the re-instate
workers and for government assistance in
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108
Khatharya
included
Svay
16
timely
Rieng
US$15
for
US$66
to
of
about
the
and
the
issues
for
the
gr
Europea
Internation
governance
positive
economy,
eroded
of
M
work
continued
US
and
in
progr
economic
good
day
garment
the
E
dem
each
support
of
to
US$80
Despite
and
pay
Special
December
keeps
Um
an
forecast
is
likely
confidence
Cambodia
instability
province.
in
totall
and
company
t
bette
suspend
This
foll
Electricity
General
The
Bank,
World
2011
because
awaiting
the
resuming
of
of
them.
agen
shocks
which
investing
th
resolut
International
external
w
by
involve
in
d
g
human
and
healthcare.
A
between
the
ages
and
only
growing
retailers
value
46.6
market
such
"detail
training
per
as
c
d
M
orient
programme
country's
garment
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p
Cambodia in 2013: The Winds of Change 109
International donors and lending agencies als
The inability of the Hun Sen government to pr
continues to undermine development and dem
endemic, placing the country at 160th out of 1
International corruption perception index, and
country.25 According to Transparency Interna
reported having bribed the court in the last
admitted to having bribed the police.26 Thou
Assembly, the government was unable to effec
the 2014 national budget, totalling US$1.53 b
funds for "miscellaneous expenses", includin
"ministries and institutions".27
By extension, the absence of an independent,
impunity, and general elusiveness of the rule o
governance. Though sentenced to one-and-a-hal
to appear at two hearings, Governor Chhou
the shooting of three garment workers when
protesters, has yet to be arrested. Similarly,
acquitted Captain An Bunheng, a military polic
the brutal murder of environmental journalist
Faced with a less than overwhelming perfor
of 2012 and in anticipation of the 2013 nati
government attempted to demonstrate its c
accountability through a series of initiatives
Unit (ACU) announced that some 20,000 out of the estimated 23,000 civil
servants had complied with the mandatory declaration of their assets. The
Ministry of Finance, in turn, published an official list of fees for business
transactions. In yet another anti-corruption measure, the government issued a
directive on 13 November requiring the General Department of Customs and
Excise of Cambodia to strictly enforce the official tax rates on businesses that
account, in part, for the spike in the price of basic commodities, much of which
are imported from Vietnam and Thailand. These initiatives notwithstanding, the
ADB noted in its report that the current public finance policy outcomes indicated
"a mixed but improving performance for Cambodia" with regards to accountability
and transparency.
The conclusions of the ADB resonate with the assessment of the UN Special
Rapporteur for Human Rights in Cambodia, Surya Subedi, on other facets of
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110
Khatharya
Um
development
the
when
these
been
institutions
listed
the
Subedi
to
the
the
permit
release
the
Oeun
the
law
and
the
had
duly
for
sin
noted
political
incitement.
Kem
Sokha
upon
denials
the
Court
who
Council
and
radi
imprisoned
Progress
of
the
of
Fo
Mini
that
the
urgin
Khmer
National
Assem
constitutional
twenty-nine
less
than
volatile
by
cla
oppositio
two
month
pre-election
government
issuing
month
S
in
governm
Supreme
and
a
freedo
Beehive
against
Sam
in
acknowledge
decision
the
proce
Cambodia
fundamental
and
as
frustratingly
accelerate
of
h
democratizatio
noneth
two
leading
dire
to
th
of
foreign
broadc
twenty-four
hour
an
online
TV
in
an
tension
on
warned
that
to
block
saying
any
the
the
all
"the
illegal
stree
gov
roads
t
governm
activities
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Cambodia in 2013: The Winds of Change 1 1 1
The government, through the courts, conti
rights activists. Though it had overturned th
Mam Sonando, the court left the lesser charges u
Cambodian Supreme Court released jailed Boe
Yorm Bopha, on bail in November, it sent her ca
for reinvestigation. Yorm Bopha was one of 2
in 2012 alone. Speaking of the reforms needed
rights, Flavia Pansieri, deputy high commissio
hope that Cambodia will embark, as promised
reform some of its key institutions which are fu
protection of human rights, including the judici
These pronouncements notwithstanding, the
by the Human Rights Council has been critici
the regime accountable for its human rights abu
promise to pass critical laws on the judiciary.
One of the outstanding human rights issues
(KRT) and the quest for justice and accountabil
amidst a plaguing lack of funds, strikes by st
months, and the death of Ieng Sary on 14 Ma
2007 and charged with numerous crimes comm
regime when he was a member of the Commu
and Foreign Minister of Democratic Kampuche
surviving Khmer Rouge leaders and defendant
Foreign Minister, he appealed to and deceived int
returning to Cambodia where most were jailed
perished, or were killed. He was also accused of o
Foreign Ministry. Once at the helm of a regime
which a large number of Cambodians had peri
Ieng Sary's funeral was replete with elaborate Bu
Ieng Sary's death and his wife Ieng Thirith's d
left only eighty-six-year-old Nuoun Chea, Dem
Number Two", second only to Pol Pot, and eighty
the regime's former head of state, both frail and
Case 002 for crimes committed during their rule
court opted for "mini-trials" of the different as
the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts o
closing statements for the first part of Case 002
against humanity that occurred during the force
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112
Khatharya
April
the
1975,
includi
prosecution
parties,
in
declaration
public
and
wa
turn,
of
a
fo
consisti
nation-wide
prosecutor
for
the
soldiers
parts
at
do
subm
second
different
pha
of
Tuoi
t
Po
in 1975.
The KRT, long plagued by scandals, political interference and perpetual
shortage of funds, continues to face challenges of resource and time. The failure
of the Cambodian government to honor its commitment to pay the salaries of the
local staff of the court had led to two strikes this year that threatened to disrupt
the judicial process. Pressured by donors and the UN high offices to live up to
its funding commitment, Hun Sen recently pledged US$1.8 million to make up
for the financial shortfall of the tribunal. After six years and more than US$150
million, the tribunal has secured only one conviction - that of Kaing Guek Eav,
also known as Duch, who was sentenced to life in prison for his role as head
of Tuoi Sleng S-21 security centre where over 12,000 people were tortured and
killed. Both Case 003 involving Meas Muth and Sou Meth who died in early
2013 and Case 004 involving three former Khmer Rouge regional commanders
- Ta Tith, Ta An, and Im Chaem - are still at the investigative stage. With
the Hun Sen government opposing any attempt to continue the trial beyond Case
002, and with the process challenged by criticisms, chronic lack of funding, and
strained international will, there is a strong possibility that no additional cases
will be tried.
Foreign Relations
During his visit to Cambodia in November, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
conveyed his desire to see Cambodia enhance its commitment to human rights
and democratization and fulfill its funding obligation for the Khmer Rouge
tribunal. Japan, which had contributed over US$2.25 billion in development aid
to Cambodia since 1992, also urged greater cooperation between Cambodia and
other Southeast Asian countries, in a veiled reference to Cambodia's stance on
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p
nati
memorials
programmes
the
Um
Cambodia In 2013: The Winds of Change 1 13
the issue of contesting territorial claims in the
particular at the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting
In the face of China's assertive presence in
Japan- ASEAN summit held in 13-15 Decembe
to vie for regional influence through strengt
some of whose member states are also in territo
of President Obama's cancelled visit to the re
US, and wavering US stance on Syria, confidenc
of American counterweight to China was so
December summit, Cambodia and Japan signed a
to strengthen their defense cooperation, elev
"strategic partnership". A Japanese pledge o
made for three new infrastructure projects to
supply grid and the country's irrigation facilitie
Phnom-Penh and Thailand.
Simultaneous to Abe's visit, Cambodian Defence Minister General
Tea Banh flew to China on an "imperative" military mission, reportedly to
inspect military equipments for purchase but possibly to smooth out any
potentially ruffled feathers in Beijing. With its economic might and geopolitical
importance in the region, China has become an important supporter of the Hun
Sen regime, and Cambodia, in turn, the PRC's strongest ally in Southeast Asia.
Beijing's relations with the Phnom Penh government are fortified by a web of
economic ties. China's vast economic investment, totalling about US$9.7 billion
over the past eighteen years, has been in infrastructural development and in
some of the most lucrative projects including energy, gold and other mineral
exploration and logging, which has given it significant control over Cambodia's
natural resources. Plans are being finalized for the construction of a 270 MW
coal-fired power plant at an estimated cost of US$300 million in a joint venture
between Cambodian Petrochemical Company (CPC) and two Chinese companies.
While the Cambodian government has always insisted on the unconditional
nature of Chinese aid, some have contended that Chinese land concessions such
as that which have been secured by the Union Group in Koh Kong, with access
to the Gulf of Thailand and the hotly contested South China Sea, is not only
economically lucrative but also strategic. Because of their expanding control,
Chinese companies and concessionaires have come to feature centrally in the
rising tide of rural unrest in Cambodia.
In addition to its sizeable direct investment, China to date has provided
close to a total of US$2.89 billion of development assistance in the form
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114
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On the western front, the plaguing dispute over the Preah Vihear temple
that has strained Thai-Cambodian relations reached a momentous juncture in
November with the unanimous ruling of the International Court of Justice in
favour of Cambodia. Confining its mandate to interpreting the 1962 decision,
the court ordered Thailand to remove its troops from the temple and its
"vicinity", which it defines as extending to the whole of the promontory on
which the temple is located, "at least as far as the foot of the hill of Phnom
Trap, that is to say: where the ground begins to rise from the valley"30 rather
than confined to the part delineated by the Thai Council of Ministers in 1962.
The ICJ ruling, however, left unaddressed the rest of the 4.6 square kilometres
of disputed area, which it stated was beyond the scope of its mandate as the
1962 decision pertained only to contested sovereignty over the area in which
the temple was located and not the issue of the frontier itself, which had not
been included in the initial petition that Cambodia filed with the court in 1959.
The verdict, which came amidst domestic turmoil in Thailand and has been
politicized by it, has yet to be fully implemented, with bilateral talks still needed
to work out technical details, including stipulations for Thai troop withdrawal
from the area. Until some of the outstanding issues are resolved, the Thai
World Heritage Committee has indicated its readiness to veto any attempt by
Cambodia to submit a management plan for the Preah Vihear temple to the
World Heritage Committee's (WHC). As 2013 closes, it appears that Cambodia
has weathered the winds of war with its neighbour. How the country weathers
the winds of change at home, however, remains to be seen.
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d
at
Cambodia in 2013: The Winds of Change 115
Notes
1. Ellen Bork, "A Cambodian Awakening", Foreign Policy , 11 December 2013.
2. Reuters, "Cambodia Election 2013: Government Rejects Opposition's Call for Probe
into Alleged Fraud", 30 June 2013.
3. Reaksmey Hul and Peter Zsombor, "CNRP Lawmakers in Siem Reap as Boycott
Starts", Cambodia Daily , 23 September 2013.
4. Daniel Pye and Meas Sokchea, "An Act of Coup d'Etat", Phnom Penh Post ,
24 December 2013.
5. May Tithera, "Protesting monk may be disrobed", Phnom Penh Post , 19 September
2013.
6. Southeast Asia Weekly, "Cambodia's economic growth stands at 7.5 per cent in 2014:
ADB", 2 October 2013.
7. Cambodian Business Review, "World Bank Describes Cambodia's Economy As
'Robust'", 31 December 2013.
8. May Kunmakara and Hin Pisei, "Construction sector keeps on building", Phnom
Penh Post , 11 September 2013.
9. Sun Narin and Chun Han Wong, "Cambodia Garment Workers in Mass Protest Over
'Unfair' Dismissals", Southeast Asia Real Time , Wall Street Journal , 5 September
2013.
10. Asian Development Bank, "Cambodia: Economy", 2013.
1 1 . Chan Muy Hong, "Exports to US rise, slightly", Phnom Penh Post , 17 November 2013.
12. Denise Hruby, "Coca-Cola to Investigate Sugar Sourced From Cambodia", Cambodia
Daily , 9 November 2013.
13. Human Rights Watch, "Cambodia: Land Titling Campaign Open to Abuse Without Transparency and Accountability, Scheme Allows Corruption, Land Grabs",
12 June 2013.
14. Global Witness, "Rubber Barons How Vietnamese companies and international
financiers are driving a land grabbing crisis in Cambodia and Laos", May 2013.
15. Neou Vannarin, "Hun Sen Hopes For Increased Rubber Exports", 16 May 2013,
available at <http://www.opendevelopmentcambodia.net/>.
16. Andrew Marshall and Prak Chun Thul, "Insight: China Gambles On Cambodia's
Shrinking Forests", Reuters , 7 March 2012.
17. Ibid.
18. Aun Pheap, "Jarai Accuse Firm of Planning to Drain Lake", Cambodia Daily ,
29 January 2013.
19. May Titthara, "Most Land Disputes in Cambodia Unsettled", Phnom Penh Post ,
21 February 2013.
20. Ibid.
21. ILO, "Thirtieth Synthesis Report on Working Conditions in Cambodia's Garment
Sector", 18 July 2013.
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1
1
22.
ó
Khatharya
Sean
Post
,
4
Um
Teehan
and
November
D
20
23. Ibid.
24. "Report shows worrying school drop-out rate", Phnom Penh Post , 29 November
2013.
25. CNN Money, "Searching for economic hope in Cambodia," 2 August 2013.
26. Ibid.
27. Hul Reaksmey, "Finance Ministry Defends Ambiguity in 2014 Budget Bill",
Cambodia Daily , 21 November 2013.
28. The Committee For Free and Fair Elections, "Democracy, Elections and Reform in
Cambodia: Annual Report 2012", Phnom Penh , March 2013.
29. Radio Free Asia, "In Largest Protest since Polls, Cambodians Demand Re-Election",
12 December 2013.
30. William Roth, "Preah Vihear decision is not the end of territorial row", Bangko
Post , 18 November 2013.
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