Cambodia
Cambodia exhibits low-range performance across all four categories of the Global State of Democracy framework, ranking in the bottom 25 per cent of the world in each one (Representation, Rights, Rule of Law, and Participation). Over the past five years, there have been significant declines in Credible Elections and Access to Justice, reflecting authoritarian entrenchment. Conversely, there has been an improvement in Basic Welfare over the course of the last two decades, a development which has been undergirded by the country’s steady economic expansion. Classified as lower-middle income country, Cambodia’s economic growth has been driven primarily by garment exports, tourism, and the agricultural service sector.
Much of present-day Cambodia was the home of the Khmer Empire (802-1431 CE) Khmer Empire, which fell into decline in the 14th and 15th centuries. The surviving kingdom was dominated by its neighbors until Cambodia formally became a French colonial possession in 1863. The Kingdom of Cambodia that gained independence in 1953 was never fully politically stable, and King Norodom Sihanouk was overthrown in a . Since that time, Cambodia has been marked by cycles of political violence and oppression, most notably including the Cambodian Civil War and the Khmer Rouge-led forced labour policies and genocide. More recent history has been dominated by former Prime Minister Hun Sen, , who took power in 1985 under the occupying Vietnamese government and continued to hold the post after the monarchy was restored in 1993. In 2023 he transferred power to his son, Hun Manet. Both of these rulers belong to the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), which has maintained a de facto one-party state since 2017 and which has regularly acted to entrench its power.
The main issues driving politics in Cambodia are CPP’s entrenching authoritarianism and the conflict between the small-scale farmers that make up 75 per cent of Cambodia’s population and large-scale land acquisitions for cash crop production. Whereas Cambodians once enjoyed some degree of electoral competition - particularly in the 2013 election, where the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) fared well in the capital Phnom Penh and with young voters - the opposition today is greatly diminished. Critical voices are routinely shut down, and the opposition Candlelight Party was banned in 2023 after receiving 22 per cent of the vote in the 2022 local elections. In recent years, the country’s civic space has been shrinking, including deteriorating press freedoms and a lack of freedom of expression.
Only about 16 per cent of parliamentary seats are held by women, and fewer than one-in-ten journalists are female. Intimate partner violence and lack of access to family planning remain challenges for Cambodian women. Ethnic minorities and indigenous people, which make up less than 5 per cent of the population, are also underrepresented in government. While the country has made strides in protecting the rights of LGBTQIA+ people, it still has not formally codified any non-discrimination protections.
In the years ahead, it will be important to watch the Rights indicators, particularly Freedom of Expression and Freedom of the Press, for any regression. In addition, actions taken by the government to limit the competitiveness of elections and intimidate opposition parties could impact Representation metrics. Finally, while the country remains vulnerable to climate change, Basic Welfare may continue to improve, as Cambodia has returned to a state of rapid economic growth.
Last Updated: June 2024
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
March 2025
Harsher penalties introduced for genocide denial
A new law penalizing denial of the Cambodian genocide with up to five years in prison and a fine of KHR 50 million (USD 12,500) went into effect on 1 March. Genocide denial has been criminalized since 2003, but the previous penalties were a maximum of two years in prison or a fine of up to KHR 4 million (1,000 USD). While the text of the law does not differ significantly from similar statutes around the world, the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) has historically used genocide denial laws to tightly control the official history of the genocide and punish political opponents. Historians are concerned the strengthened penalties will discourage public discussion and the search for accountability for the genocide. An international tribunal for the genocide ended in 2022 with just three convictions, partly due to pressure from then-President Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge member himself. He was reportedly concerned a more wide-ranging investigation would damage the reputation of the CPP.
Sources: Cambodianess, Jurist, The Diplomat, New York Times
January 2025
High-profile opposition politician assassinated
Lim Kimya, an exiled former MP for the banned Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), was assassinated in Bangkok on 7 January. The murderer, a Thai former solider, escaped to Cambodia but was returned to Thailand on 11 January. Rights watchdogs described the assassination as ‘transnational repression’ – when an authoritarian state punishes critics and inhibits political organizing through violence and intimidation outside of its borders. While no direct connection to the Cambodian government has yet been determined, the assassin confessed to murdering Lim in exchange for ‘financial support’ from an individual he refuses to name out of concerns for his family’s safety. Thai police are also searching for an accomplice who is a Cambodian national. The Cambodian state has continued to pursue and harass members of the party and its successor, the Candlelight Party, through legal and extra-legal means.
Sources: British Broadcasting Corporation, The Diplomat, Amnesty International, Bangkok Post
September 2024
Civil pressure forces rare policy reversal
Following protests from the Cambodian diaspora, significant dissent expressed on domestic social media, and the threat of domestic protests, the Cambodian government announced its withdrawal from a two-decade old economic agreement with Laos and Vietnam on 20 September. Critics of the agreement, which was intended to foster development in remote border regions, claimed that it had instead surrendered control over Cambodian land and resources to Vietnam and Vietnamese immigrants. This move marks the first time the Hun Manet government made a significant policy change on account of organized public demand. It also marks an about-face from its previous strategy of staunchly defending the agreement in public. The Cambodian government attempted to head off planned domestic protests, arresting at least 94 people in July and August for either publicly criticizing the agreement or allegedly being involved in planning domestic protests, accusing them of being ‘extremists’ planning to overthrow the government.
Sources: Hun Manet (Facebook), The Diplomat, Cambodja News
June 2024
Environmental activists sentenced
Ten activists from the environmental protest group Mother Nature were convicted under Article 453 of Cambodia’s Criminal Code for “plotting against the state.” Rights watchdogs say the group was targeted for its effective environmental activism over the past decade, as it had successfully stopped environmentally damaging infrastructure projects and exposed corruption in the natural resources sector. Those convicted face six to eight years in prison, although the whereabouts of four Cambodian members are unknown and a fifth Spanish member was deported in 2015 and has already been barred from re-entering the country. The five activists who were not tried in absentia were taken into custody following the hearing. Observers say the trial marks a step backwards in the ability of Cambodian civil society to monitor the natural resource sector and take part in consequential environmental decisions.
Sources: Associated Press, Human Rights Watch, LICADHO, Phnom Penh Post
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