Recent Cambodian History
Following Japanese occupation in World War II, Cambodia (formerly Kampuchea) became independent within the French Union in 1949 and fully independent in 1953.
During the Vietnam War, Cambodia was heavily bombed by American planes, as North Vietnamese soldiers were suspected of operating within Cambodia’s borders. The bombing weakened Cambodia's defence system and government. After a five-year struggle, Communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh in April 1975 and ordered the evacuation of all cities and towns. At least 1.5 million Cambodians died from execution, enforced hardships, or starvation during the Khmer Rouge regime under Pol Pot. A December 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside, which led to a 10-year Vietnamese occupation, almost 13 years of civil war and an ensuing famine.
The 1991 Paris Peace Accords mandated democratic elections and a ceasefire, which was not fully respected by the Khmer Rouge. UN-sponsored elections in 1993 assisted in restoring some semblance of normalcy and the final elements of the Khmer Rouge surrendered in early 1999. Factional fighting in 1997 ended the first coalition government, but a second round of national elections in 1998 led to the formation of another coalition government and renewed political stability. The July 2003 elections were relatively peaceful, but one year of negotiations were required between contending political parties before a coalition government was formed. Nation-wide local elections are scheduled for 2007 and national elections for 2008.
Social and Economic Conditions in Cambodia Today
While the political landscape appears to be entering a period of stability, the country suffers from:
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one of the highest poverty rates in the South-East Asia region;
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significantly weakened infrastructure (almost totally lacking in the countryside, although 75% of the population remains engaged in subsistence farming);
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40% of the population living below the poverty line;
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an estimated 600,000 unexploded landmines - more than 40,000 Cambodians have suffered amputations as a result of mine injuries since 1979, representing an average of nearly 40 victims a week for a period of 20 years. This prevents many Cambodian farmers sowing crops;
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an infant mortality rate of 95/1,000, four times higher than in neighbouring Vietnam or Thailand (more than 50,000 children under the age of five die in Cambodia each year);
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significant child starvation, with 53% of Cambodian children malnourished, 17% of those severely;
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life expectancy of only 54.4 years ;
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a female basic literacy rate of only 55%; and
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one of the most serious HIV/AIDS infection rates in South-East Asia.
The number of orphans in Cambodia is estimated to range from 60,000 to over 200,000. Many orphans live on the streets and are forced into gangs, become drug dependent or are trafficked into domestic or sexual servitude. At least one-third of Cambodian prostitutes are children, some as young as five years of age. Endemic corruption often precludes authorities from pursuing the traffickers. In 1998, there were 280,000 international visitors to Cambodia – this figure jumped to 1 million in 2003, of which up to 20% are estimated to have been sex tourists. In a country where countless sex crimes are committed every day, only a handful of offenders are prosecuted every year.
Poor rural families, in desperation, sometimes sell or send their children into forced labour or prostitution. While doctors earn the equivalent of $A50 a month and police officers and teachers $A30, hopelessly impoverished families in rural Cambodia can sell a daughter for between $A300 and $A720.
Opportunities for females are particularly poor, as they:
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face a gender bias with respect to education (only 50 girls are enrolled for every 100 boys in secondary school), resulting in significantly lower literacy rates for females than males;
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suffer gender discrimination resulting from strong cultural views about the role of women in Cambodian society, which restrict the opportunities for girls and women in the labour market. Women earn 30-40% less than men, work longer hours, receive lower wages and endure poorer working conditions.