Cambodia

 

Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs                                      
June 2007                                                                     
                                                                       
  Background Note: Cambodia                                                   
                                             
  The Angkor Wat temple, Siem Reap,                                           
  Cambodia, June 8, 2006. [© AP Images]                                       
                                                                       
  Flag of Cambodia is three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (double width),
  and blue with a white three-towered temple representing Angkor Wat outlined 
  in black in the center of the red band.                                     
                                                                       
  PROFILE                                                                     
                                                                       
  OFFICIAL NAME:                                                              
  Kingdom of Cambodia                                                         
                                                                       
  Geography                                                                   
  Area: 181,040 sq. km. (69,900 sq. mi.); about the size of Missouri.         
  Cities: Capital--Phnom Penh (pop. 1.2 million), Battambang, Siem Reap,      
  Kompong Cham, Kompong Speu, Kompong Thom.                                   
  Terrain: Central plain drained by the Tonle Sap (Great Lake) and Mekong and 
  Bassac Rivers. Forests away from the rivers and the lake, mountains in the  
  southwest (Cardamom Mountains) and north (Dangrek Mountains) along the border
  with Thailand.                                                              
  Climate: Tropical monsoon with rainy season June-Oct. and dry season        
  Nov.-May.                                                                   
                                                                       
  People                                                                      
  Nationality: Noun and adjective--Cambodian(s), Khmer.                       
  Population (2007 est.): 13,995,904.                                         
  Avg. annual growth rate (2007 est.): 1.72%.                                 
  Health: Infant mortality rate--58/1,000. Life expectancy--59 years male; 63 
  years female.                                                               
  Ethnic groups: Cambodian 90%; Vietnamese 5%; Chinese 1%; small numbers of   
  hill tribes, Chams, and Laotian.                                            
  Religions: Theravada Buddhism 95%; Islam; animism; Christian.               
  Languages: Khmer (official) spoken by more than 95% of the population; some 
  French still spoken in urban areas; English increasingly popular as a second
  language.                                                                   
  Education: Years compulsory--none. Enrollment--primary school, 91.9%; grades
  7 to 9, 26.1%; grades 10 to 12, 9.3%; and post-secondary, 1.4%. Completion  
  rates--primary school, 46.8%; lower secondary school, 20.57%; upper secondary
  school, 8.92%; university, 6%. Literacy (total population over 15 that can  
  read and write, 2006)--73.6% (male 84.7%; female 64.1%).                    
                                                                       
  Government                                                                  
  Type: Multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy.                 
  Independence: November 9, 1953.                                             
  Constitution: September 24, 1993; amended March 6, 1999.                    
  Branches: Executive--King Sihamoni (head of state since October 29, 2004),  
  appointed prime minister (Hun Sen since January 14, 1985), six deputy prime 
  ministers, 14 senior ministers, 28 ministers, 135 secretaries of state, and 
  146 undersecretaries of state. Legislative--National Assembly, consisting of
  123 elected members; Senate, consisting of 61 members. Judicial--Supreme    
  Court and lower courts.                                                     
  Administrative subdivisions: 20 provinces and 4 municipalities.             
  Political parties and leaders: Ruling parties--A coalition government of the
  Cambodian People's Party (CPP), led by Samdech Chea Sim, and the National   
  United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia
  (FUNCINPEC), led by National Assembly President Prince Norodom Ranariddh.   
  Opposition parties--The Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), led by Sam Rainsy; several  
  minor parties.                                                              
                                                                       
  Economy                                                                     
  GDP (2006 est.): $6.6 billion.                                              
  Per capita GDP (2005): $448.                                                
  Annual growth rate (2006): 10.5%.                                           
  Inflation (2006): 5%.                                                       
  Natural resources: Timber, gemstones, some iron ore, manganese and phosphate,
  hydroelectric potential from the Mekong River.                              
  Agriculture (34.2% of GDP, 2005): About 4,848,000 hectares (12 million acres)
  are unforested land; all are arable with irrigation, but 2.5 million hectares
  are cultivated. Products--rice, rubber, corn, meat, vegetables, dairy       
  products, sugar, flour.                                                     
  Industry (26.7% of GDP, 2005): Types--garment and shoe manufacturing, rice  
  milling, tobacco, fisheries and fishing, wood and wood products, textiles,  
  cement, some rubber production, paper and food processing.                  
  Services (39.1% of GDP, 2004 est.): Tourism, telecommunications,            
  transportation, and construction.                                           
  Central government budget (2005): Revenues--$642 million; expenditures--$812
  million; foreign financing--$273 million.                                   
  Trade: Exports ($3.45 billion, 2006)--garments, shoes, cigarettes, natural  
  rubber, rice, pepper, wood, fish. Major partners--United States, Germany,   
  U.K., Singapore, Japan, Vietnam. Imports ($3.31 billion, 2006)--fuels,      
  cigarettes, vehicles, consumer goods, machinery. Major partners--Thailand,  
  Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Taiwan, United States.                
  Economic aid received: Pledges of $601 million in grants and concessional   
  loans for calendar year 2006. Major donors--Asian Development Bank (ADB), UN
  Development Program (UNDP), World Bank, International Monetary Fund,        
  Australia, Canada, Denmark, the EU, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden,  
  Thailand, U.K., U.S. According to the Cambodian Government, 95.2% of the $504
  million pledged by donors for 2005 was actually disbursed.                  
  Principal foreign commercial investors: Malaysia, Taiwan, U.S., China, Korea,
  Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand.                                         
  Exchange rate (2006): 4,114 riel per U.S. $1.                               
                                                                       
  GEOGRAPHY                                                                   
  Cambodia is located on mainland Southeast Asia between Thailand to the west 
  and north and Vietnam to the east. It shares a land border with Laos in the 
  northeast. Cambodia has a sea coast on the Gulf of Thailand. The Dangrek    
  Mountain range in the north and Cardamom Mountains in the southwest form    
  natural boundaries. Principal physical features include the Tonle Sap lake  
  and the Mekong and Bassac Rivers. Cambodia remains one of the most heavily  
  forested countries in the region, although deforestation continues at an    
  alarming rate.                                                              
                                                                       
  PEOPLE AND CULTURE                                                          
  Ninety percent of Cambodia's population is ethnically Cambodian. Other ethnic
  groups include Chinese, Vietnamese, hill tribes, Chams, and Laotian.        
  Theravada Buddhism is the religion of 95% of the population; Islam, animism,
  and Christianity also are practiced. Khmer is the official language and is  
  spoken by more than 95% of the population. Some French is still spoken in   
  urban areas, and English is increasingly popular as a second language.      
                                                                       
  Angkor Wat                                                                  
  Over a period of 300 years, between 900 and 1200 AD, the Khmer Kingdom of   
  Angkor produced some of the world's most magnificent architectural          
  masterpieces on the northern shore of the Tonle Sap, near the present town of
  Siem Reap. The Angkor area stretches 15 miles east to west and 5 miles north
  to south. Some 72 major temples or other buildings dot the area. Suryavarman
  II built the principal temple, Angkor Wat, between 1112 and 1150. With walls
  nearly one-half mile on each side, Angkor Wat portrays the Hindu cosmology  
  with the central towers representing Mount Meru, home of the gods; the outer
  walls, the mountains enclosing the world; and the moat, the oceans beyond.  
  Angkor Thom, the capital city built after the Cham sack of 1177, is         
  surrounded by a 300-foot wide moat. Construction of Angkor Thom coincided   
  with a change from Hinduism to Buddhism. Temples were altered to display    
  images of the Buddha, and Angkor Wat became a major Buddhist shrine.        
                                                                       
  During the 15th century, nearly all of Angkor was abandoned after Siamese   
  attacks. The exception was Angkor Wat, which remained a shrine for Buddhist 
  pilgrims. The great city and temples remained largely cloaked by the forest 
  until the late 19th century when French archaeologists began a long         
  restoration process. France established the Angkor Conservancy in 1908 to   
  direct restoration of the Angkor complex. For the next 64 years, the        
  conservancy worked to clear away the forest, repair foundations, and install
  drains to protect the buildings from their most insidious enemy: water. After
  1953, the conservancy became a joint project of the French and Cambodian    
  Governments. Some temples were carefully taken apart stone by stone and     
  reassembled on concrete foundations. Tourism is now the second-largest      
  foreign currency earner in Cambodia's economy, and Angkor Wat has helped    
  attract international tourism to the country.                               
                                                                       
  MODERN HISTORY                                                              
  Although Cambodia had a rich and powerful past under the Hindu state of Funan
  and the Kingdom of Angkor, by the mid-19th century the country was on the   
  verge of dissolution. After repeated requests for French assistance, a      
  protectorate was established in 1863. By 1884, Cambodia was a virtual colony;
  soon after it was made part of the Indochina Union with Annam, Tonkin,      
  Cochin-China, and Laos. France continued to control the country even after  
  the start of World War II through its Vichy government. In 1945, the Japanese
  dissolved the colonial administration, and King Norodom Sihanouk declared an
  independent, anti-colonial government under Prime Minister Son Ngoc Thanh in
  March 1945. The Allies deposed this government in October. In January 1953, 
  Sihanouk named his father as regent and went into self-imposed exile,       
  refusing to return until Cambodia gained genuine independence.              
                                                                       
  Full Independence                                                           
  Sihanouk's actions hastened the French Government's July 4, 1953 announcement
  of its readiness to grant independence, which came on November 9, 1953. The 
  situation remained uncertain until a 1954 conference was held in Geneva to  
  settle the French-Indochina war. All participants, except the United States 
  and the State of Vietnam, associated themselves (by voice) with the final   
  declaration. The Cambodian delegation agreed to the neutrality of the three 
  Indochinese states but insisted on a provision in the cease-fire agreement  
  that left the Cambodian Government free to call for outside military        
  assistance should the Viet Minh or others threaten its territory.           
                                                                       
  Neutral Cambodia                                                            
  Neutrality was the central element of Cambodian foreign policy during the   
  1950s and 1960s. By the mid-1960s, parts of Cambodia's eastern provinces were
  serving as bases for North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong (NVA/VC) forces    
  operating against South Vietnam, and the port of Sihanoukville was being used
  to supply them. As NVA/VC activity grew, the United States and South Vietnam
  became concerned, and in 1969, the United States began a series of air raids
  against NVA/VC base areas inside Cambodia.                                  
                                                                       
  Throughout the 1960s, domestic politics polarized. Opposition grew within the
  middle class and among leftists, including Paris-educated leaders such as Son
  Sen, Ieng Sary, and Saloth Sar (later known as Pol Pot), who led an         
  insurgency under the clandestine Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK).        
                                                                       
  The Khmer Republic and the War                                              
  In March 1970, Gen. Lon Nol deposed Prince Sihanouk and assumed power. On   
  October 9, the Cambodian monarchy was abolished, and the country was renamed
  the Khmer Republic. Hanoi rejected the new republic's request for the       
  withdrawal of NVA/VC troops and began to reinfiltrate some of the 2,000-4,000
  Cambodians who had gone to North Vietnam in 1954. They became a cadre in the
  insurgency. The United States moved to provide material assistance to the new
  government's armed forces, which were engaged against both the Khmer Rouge  
  insurgents and NVA/VC forces. In April 1970, U.S. and South Vietnamese forces
  entered Cambodia in a campaign aimed at destroying NVA/VC base areas.       
  Although a considerable quantity of equipment was seized or destroyed, NVA/VC
  forces proved elusive and moved deeper into Cambodia. NVA/VC units overran  
  many Cambodian Army positions while the Khmer Rouge expanded their smallscale
  attacks on lines of communication.                                          
                                                                       
  The Khmer Republic's leadership was plagued by disunity among its members,  
  the problems of transforming a 30,000-man army into a national combat force 
  of more than 200,000 men, and spreading corruption. The insurgency continued
  to grow, with supplies and military support provided by North Vietnam. But  
  inside Cambodia, Pol Pot and Ieng Sary asserted their dominance over the    
  Vietnamese-trained communists, many of whom were purged. At the same time,  
  the Khmer Rouge forces became stronger and more independent of their        
  Vietnamese patrons. By 1974, Lon Nol's control was reduced to small enclaves
  around the cities and main transportation routes. More than 2 million       
  refugees from the war lived in Phnom Penh and other cities.                 
                                                                       
  On New Year's Day 1975, communist troops launched an offensive that, in 117 
  days of the hardest fighting of the war, destroyed the Khmer Republic.      
  Simultaneous attacks around the perimeter of Phnom Penh pinned down         
  Republican forces, while other Khmer Rouge units overran fire bases         
  controlling the vital lower Mekong resupply route. A U.S.-funded airlift of 
  ammunition and rice ended when Congress refused additional aid for Cambodia.
  Phnom Penh surrendered on April 17, 1975--5 days after the U.S. mission     
  evacuated Cambodia.                                                         
                                                                       
  Democratic Kampuchea                                                        
  Many Cambodians welcomed the arrival of peace, but the Khmer Rouge soon     
  turned Cambodia--which it called Democratic Kampuchea (DK)--into a land of  
  horror. Immediately after its victory, the new regime ordered the evacuation
  of all cities and towns, sending the entire urban population out into the   
  countryside to till the land. Thousands starved or died of disease during the
  evacuation. Many of those forced to evacuate the cities were resettled in new
  villages, which lacked food, agricultural implements, and medical care. Many
  starved before the first harvest, and hunger and malnutrition--bordering on 
  starvation--were constant during those years. Those who resisted or who     
  questioned orders were immediately executed, as were most military and      
  civilian leaders of the former regime who failed to disguise their pasts.   
                                                                       
  Within the CPK, the Paris-educated leadership--Pol Pot, Ieng Sary, Nuon Chea,
  and Son Sen--was in control, and Pol Pot was made Prime Minister. Prince    
  Sihanouk was put under virtual house arrest. The new government sought to   
  restructure Cambodian society completely. Remnants of the old society were  
  abolished, and Buddhism suppressed.                                         
                                                                       
  Agriculture was collectivized, and the surviving part of the industrial base
  was abandoned or placed under state control. Cambodia had neither a currency
  nor a banking system. The regime controlled every aspect of life and reduced
  everyone to the level of abject obedience through terror. Torture centers   
  were established, and detailed records were kept of the thousands murdered  
  there. Public executions of those considered unreliable or with links to the
  previous government were common. Few succeeded in escaping the military     
  patrols and fleeing the country. Solid estimates of the numbers who died    
  between 1975 and 1979 are not available, but it is likely that hundreds of  
  thousands were brutally executed by the regime. Hundreds of thousands more  
  died of starvation and disease--both under the Khmer Rouge and during the   
  Vietnamese invasion in 1978. Estimates of the dead range from 1.7 million to
  3 million, out of a 1975 population estimated at 7.3 million.               
                                                                       
  Democratic Kampuchea's relations with Vietnam and Thailand worsened rapidly 
  as a result of border clashes and ideological differences. While communist, 
  the CPK was fiercely anti-Vietnamese, and most of its members who had lived 
  in Vietnam were purged. Democratic Kampuchea established close ties with    
  China, and the Cambodian-Vietnamese conflict became part of the Sino-Soviet 
  rivalry, with Moscow backing Vietnam. Border clashes worsened when Democratic
  Kampuchea's military attacked villages in Vietnam.                          
                                                                       
  In mid-1978, Vietnamese forces invaded Cambodia, advancing about 30 miles   
  before the arrival of the rainy season. In December 1978, Vietnam announced 
  formation of the Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation (KUFNS) under
  Heng Samrin, a former DK division commander. It was composed of Khmer       
  communists who had remained in Vietnam after 1975 and officials from the    
  eastern sector--like Heng Samrin and Hun Sen--who had fled to Vietnam from  
  Cambodia in 1978. In late December 1978, Vietnamese forces launched a full  
  invasion of Cambodia, capturing Phnom Penh on January 7, 1979 and driving the
  remnants of Democratic Kampuchea's army westward toward Thailand.           
                                                                       
  The Vietnamese Occupation                                                   
  On January 10, 1979, the Vietnamese installed Heng Samrin as head of state in
  the new People's Republic of Kampuchea (PRK). The Vietnamese Army continued 
  its pursuit of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge forces. At least 600,000 Cambodians    
  displaced during the Pol Pot era and the Vietnamese invasion began streaming
  to the Thai border in search of refuge.                                     
                                                                       
  The international community responded with a massive relief effort          
  coordinated by the United States through the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and
  the World Food Program. More than $400 million was provided between 1979 and
  1982, of which the United States contributed nearly $100 million. At one    
  point, more than 500,000 Cambodians were living along the Thai-Cambodian    
  border and more than 100,000 in holding centers inside Thailand.            
                                                                       
  Vietnam's occupation army of as many as 200,000 troops controlled the major 
  population centers and most of the countryside from 1979 to September 1989. 
  The Heng Samrin regime's 30,000 troops were plagued by poor morale and      
  widespread desertion. Resistance to Vietnam's occupation continued. A large 
  portion of the Khmer Rouge's military forces eluded Vietnamese troops and   
  established themselves in remote regions. The non-communist resistance,     
  consisting of a number of groups which had been fighting the Khmer Rouge    
  after 1975--including Lon Nol-era soldiers--coalesced in 1979-80 to form the
  Khmer People's National Liberation Armed Forces (KPNLAF), which pledged     
  loyalty to former Prime Minister Son Sann, and Moulinaka (Movement pour la  
  Liberation Nationale de Kampuchea), loyal to Prince Sihanouk. In 1979, Son  
  Sann formed the Khmer People's National Liberation Front (KPNLF) to lead the
  political struggle for Cambodia's independence. Prince Sihanouk formed his  
  own organization, National United Front for an Independent, Neutral,        
  Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia (FUNCINPEC), and its military arm, the   
  Armee Nationale Sihanoukienne (ANS) in 1981.                                
                                                                       
  Within Cambodia, Vietnam had only limited success in establishing its client
  Heng Samrin regime, which was dependent on Vietnamese advisers at all levels.
  Security in some rural areas was tenuous, and major transportation routes   
  were subject to interdiction by resistance forces. The presence of Vietnamese
  throughout the country and their intrusion into nearly all aspects of       
  Cambodian life alienated much of the populace. The settlement of Vietnamese 
  nationals, both former residents and new immigrants, further exacerbated    
  anti-Vietnamese sentiment. Reports of the numbers involved vary widely, with
  some estimates as high as 1 million. By the end of the decade, Khmer        
  nationalism began to reassert itself against the traditional Vietnamese     
  enemy. In 1986, Hanoi claimed to have begun withdrawing part of its         
  occupation forces. At the same time, Vietnam continued efforts to strengthen
  its client regime, the PRK, and its military arm, the Kampuchean People's   
  Revolutionary Armed Forces (KPRAF). These withdrawals continued over the next
  2 years, and the last Vietnamese troops left Cambodia in September 1989.    
                                                                       
  Peace Efforts                                                               
  From July 30 to August 30, 1989, representatives of 18 countries, the four  
  Cambodian parties, and the UN Secretary General met in Paris in an effort to
  negotiate a comprehensive settlement. They hoped to achieve those objectives
  seen as crucial to the future of post-occupation Cambodia--a verified       
  withdrawal of the remaining Vietnamese occupation troops, the prevention of 
  the return to power of the Khmer Rouge, and genuine self-determination for  
  the Cambodian people. A comprehensive settlement was agreed upon on August  
  28, 1990.                                                                   
                                                                       
  Cambodia's Renewal                                                          
  On October 23, 1991, the Paris Conference reconvened to sign a comprehensive
  settlement giving the UN full authority to supervise a cease-fire, repatriate
  the displaced Khmer along the border with Thailand, disarm and demobilize the
  factional armies, and prepare the country for free and fair elections. Prince
  Sihanouk, President of the Supreme National Council of Cambodia (SNC), and  
  other members of the SNC returned to Phnom Penh in November 1991, to begin  
  the resettlement process in Cambodia. The UN Advance Mission for Cambodia   
  (UNAMIC) was deployed at the same time to maintain liaison among the factions
  and begin demining operations to expedite the repatriation of approximately 
  370,000 Cambodians from Thailand.                                           
                                                                       
  On March 16, 1992, the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) arrived
  in Cambodia to begin implementation of the UN Settlement Plan. The UN High  
  Commissioner for Refugees began fullscale repatriation in March 1992. UNTAC 
  grew into a 22,000-strong civilian and military peacekeeping force to conduct
  free and fair elections for a constituent assembly.                         
                                                                       
  Over 4 million Cambodians (about 90% of eligible voters) participated in the
  May 1993 elections, although the Khmer Rouge or Party of Democratic Kampuchea
  (PDK), whose forces were never actually disarmed or demobilized, barred some
  people from participating. Prince Ranariddh's FUNCINPEC Party was the top   
  vote recipient with a 45.5% vote, followed by Hun Sen's Cambodian People's  
  Party and the Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party, respectively. FUNCINPEC then
  entered into a coalition with the other parties that had participated in the
  election. The parties represented in the 120-member assembly proceeded to   
  draft and approve a new constitution, which was promulgated September 24,   
  1993. It established a multiparty liberal democracy in the framework of a   
  constitutional monarchy, with the former Prince Sihanouk elevated to King.  
  Prince Ranariddh and Hun Sen became First and Second Prime Ministers,       
  respectively, in the Royal Cambodian Government (RGC). The constitution     
  provides for a wide range of internationally recognized human rights.       
                                                                       
  On October 4, 2004, the Cambodian National Assembly ratified an agreement   
  with the United Nations on the establishment of a tribunal to try senior    
  leaders responsible for the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge. Donor  
  countries have pledged the $43 million international share of the three-year
  tribunal budget, while the Cambodian government's share of the budget is    
  $13.3 million. The tribunal plans to begin trials of senior Khmer Rouge     
  leaders in 2007.                                                            
                                                                       
  GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS                                         
  Cambodia is a constitutional monarchy, and its constitution provides for a  
  multiparty democracy. The Royal Government of Cambodia, formed on the basis 
  of elections internationally recognized as free and fair, was established on
  September 24, 1993.                                                         
                                                                       
  The executive branch comprises the king, who is head of state; an appointed 
  prime minister; six deputy prime ministers, 14 senior ministers, 28         
  ministers, 135 secretaries of state, and 146 undersecretaries of state. The 
  bicameral legislature consists of a 123-member elected National Assembly and
  a 61-member Senate. The judiciary includes a Supreme Court and lower courts.
  Administrative subdivisions are 20 provinces and 4 municipalities.          
                                                                       
  Compared to its recent past, the 1993-2003 period was one of relative       
  stability for Cambodia. However, political violence continued to be a       
  problem. In 1997, factional fighting between supporters of Prince Norodom   
  Ranariddh and Hun Sen broke out, resulting in more than 100 FUNCINPEC deaths
  and a few Cambodian People's Party (CPP) casualties. Some FUNCINPEC leaders 
  were forced to flee the country, and Hun Sen took over as Prime Minister.   
  FUNCINPEC leaders returned to Cambodia shortly before the 1998 National     
  Assembly elections. In those elections, the CPP received 41% of the vote,   
  FUNCINPEC 32%, and the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) 13%. Due to political violence,
  intimidation, and lack of media access, many international observers judged 
  the elections to have been seriously flawed. The CPP and FUNCINPEC formed   
  another coalition government, with CPP the senior partner.                  
                                                                       
  Cambodia's first commune elections were held in February 2002. These        
  elections to select chiefs and members of 1,621 commune (municipality)      
  councils also were marred by political violence and fell short of being free
  and fair by international standards. The election results were largely      
  acceptable to the major parties, though procedures for the new local councils
  have not been fully implemented.                                            
                                                                       
  National Assembly elections in July 2003 failed to give any one party the   
  two-thirds majority of seats required under the constitution to form a      
  government. The CPP secured 73 seats, FUNCINPEC 26 seats, and the SRP 24    
  seats. As a result, the incumbent CPP-led administration continued in power 
  in a caretaker role pending the formation of a coalition with the required  
  number of National Assembly seats to form a government.                     
                                                                       
  On July 8, 2004, the National Assembly approved a controversial addendum to 
  the constitution in order to require a vote on a new government and to end  
  the nearly year-long political stalemate. The vote took place on July 15, and
  the National Assembly approved a new coalition government comprised of the  
  CPP and FUNCINPEC, with Hun Sen as Prime Minister and Prince Norodom        
  Ranariddh as President of the National Assembly. The SRP and representatives
  of civil society non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have asserted the    
  addendum was unconstitutional. The SRP boycotted the vote and currently is in
  opposition. In February 2005, the National Assembly voted to lift the       
  parliamentary immunity of three opposition parliamentarians, including SRP  
  leader Sam Rainsy, in connection with lawsuits filed against them by members
  of the ruling parties. One of the MPs, Cheam Channy, was arrested and later 
  tried, while Sam Rainsy went into self-imposed exile. In October 2005, the  
  government arrested critics of Cambodia's border treaties with Vietnam and  
  later detained four human rights activists following International Human    
  Rights Day in December. In January 2006, the political climate improved with
  the Prime Minister's decision to release all political detainees and permit 
  Sam Rainsy's return to Cambodia. Following public criticism by Hun Sen,     
  Prince Ranariddh resigned as President of the National Assembly in March    
  2006.                                                                       
                                                                       
  On October 7, 2004, King Sihanouk abdicated the throne due to illness. On   
  October 14, the Cambodian Throne Council selected Prince Norodom Sihamoni to
  succeed Sihanouk as King. King Norodom Sihamoni officially ascended the     
  throne in a coronation ceremony on October 29, 2004.                        
                                                                       
  Cambodia's second commune elections were held in April 2007, and there was  
  little in the way of pre-election violence that preceded the 2002 and 2003  
  elections. The CPP won 61% of the seats, the SRP won 25.5%, and FUNCINEC and
  Prince Ranariddh's new party combined won close to 6%. National elections are
  scheduled for 2008.                                                         
                                                                       
  The constitution provides for a wide range of internationally recognized    
  human rights, including freedom of the press. While limitations still exist 
  on mass media, freedom of the press has improved markedly in Cambodia since 
  the adoption of the 1993 constitution, which grants a certain degree of     
  freedom to the media. The written press, while considered largely free, has 
  ties to individual political parties or factions and does not seek to provide
  objective reporting or analysis. Cambodia has an estimated 20 Khmer-language
  newspapers that are published regularly. Of these, eight are published daily.
  There are two major English-language newspapers, one of which is produced   
  daily. Broadcast media, in contrast to print, is more closely controlled. It
  tends to be politically affiliated, and access for opposition parties is    
  extremely limited.                                                          
                                                                       
  Principal Government Officials                                              
  King and Head of State--His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni                        
  Prime Minister and Head of Government--Hun Sen                              
  President of the Senate--Chea Sim                                           
  President of National Assembly--Heng Samrin                                 
                                                                       
  Cambodia's embassy in the United States is located at 4530 16th Street NW,  
  Washington DC 20011; tel: (202) 726-7742; fax: (202) 726-8381.              
                                                                       
  ECONOMY                                                                     
  Since 2004, the economy's growth rate has averaged over 10%, with the garment
  sector and the growing tourism industry driving the growth. Inflation       
  steadily increased from 1.3% in 2003 to 6.7% in 2005; for 2006, it was 5%.  
  The economy is heavily dollarized; the dollar and riel can be used          
  interchangeably. Cambodia remains heavily reliant on foreign                
  assistance--about half of the central government budget depends on donor    
  assistance. Cambodia has had trouble attracting foreign direct investment   
  (FDI), due in part to the unreliable legal environment. FDI was recorded at 
  $142 million in 2000 and gradually dropped to $121 million in 2004. In 2005,
  for the first time in five years, FDI increased to $216 million.            
                                                                       
  Manufacturing output is concentrated in the garment sector, which started to
  expand rapidly in the mid-1990s and now employs more than 250,000 workers.  
  Garments dominate Cambodia's exports, especially to the U.S., and accounted 
  for over $2 billion in revenues in 2005, a record high. Since the end of the
  Multi-Fiber Arrangement in 2005, Cambodia has maintained exports, against   
  expectations. The other main foreign currency earner is tourism; in 2004,   
  visitors topped one million for the first time, many of whom visited the    
  ancient Angkor Wat complex at Siem Reap. The service sector is heavily      
  concentrated in trading activities and catering-related services. Exploratory
  drilling for oil and natural gas began in 2005 and although there are no    
  clear figures, oil production could more than double Cambodia's revenue.    
                                                                       
  In spite of recent progress, the Cambodian economy continues to suffer from 
  the legacy of decades of war and internal strife. Per capita income and     
  education levels are lower than in most neighboring countries. Infrastructure
  remains inadequate. Most rural households depend on agriculture and its     
  related subsectors. Corruption and lack of legal protections for investors  
  continue to hamper economic opportunity and competitiveness. The economy also
  has a poor track record in creating jobs in the formal sector, and the      
  challenge will only become more daunting in the future since 50% of the     
  population is under 20 years of age and large numbers of job seekers will   
  begin to enter the work force each year over the next 10 years.             
                                                                       
  FOREIGN RELATIONS                                                           
  Cambodia has established diplomatic relations with most countries, including
  the United States. The country is a member of most major international      
  organizations, including the UN and its specialized agencies, and became a  
  member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1998.       
                                                                       
  Cambodia is a member of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and
  the Asian Development Bank (ADB). On October 13, 2004, Cambodia became the  
  148th member of the World Trade Organization (WTO).                         
                                                                       
  U.S.-CAMBODIAN RELATIONS                                                    
  Between 1955 and 1963, the United States provided $409.6 million in economic
  grant aid and $83.7 million in military assistance. This aid was used       
  primarily to repair damage caused by Cambodia's war of independence from    
  France, to support internal security forces, and for the construction of an 
  all-weather road to the seaport of Sihanoukville, which gave Cambodia its   
  first direct access to the sea and access to the southwestern hinterlands.  
  Relations deteriorated in the early 1960s. Diplomatic relations were broken 
  by Cambodia in May 1965, but were reestablished on July 2, 1969. U.S.       
  relations continued after the establishment of the Khmer Republic until the 
  U.S. mission was evacuated on April 12, 1975. During the 1970-75 war, the   
  United States provided $1.18 billion in military assistance and $503 million
  in economic assistance. The United States condemned the brutal character of 
  the Khmer Rouge regime between 1975 and 1979. The United States opposed the 
  subsequent military occupation of Cambodia by Vietnam, and supported ASEAN's
  efforts in the 1980s to achieve a comprehensive political settlement of the 
  problem. This was accomplished on October 23, 1991, when the Paris Conference
  reconvened to sign a comprehensive settlement.                              
                                                                       
  The U.S. Mission in Phnom Penh opened on November 11, 1991, headed by career
  diplomat Charles H. Twining, Jr., who was designated U.S. Special           
  Representative to the SNC. On January 3, 1992, the U.S. lifted its embargo  
  against Cambodia, thus normalizing economic relations with the country. The 
  United States also ended blanket opposition to lending to Cambodia by       
  international financial institutions. When the freely elected Royal         
  Government of Cambodia was formed on September 24, 1993, the United States  
  and the Kingdom of Cambodia immediately established full diplomatic         
  relations. The U.S. Mission was upgraded to a U.S. Embassy, and in May 1994 
  Mr. Twining became the U.S. Ambassador. After the factional fighting in 1997
  and Hun Sen's legal machinations to depose First Prime Minister Ranariddh,  
  the United States suspended bilateral assistance to the Cambodian Government.
  At the same time, many U.S. citizens and other expatriates were evacuated   
  from Cambodia and, in the subsequent weeks and months, more than 40,000     
  Cambodian refugees fled to Thailand. The 1997 events also left a long list of
  uninvestigated human rights abuses, including dozens of extra-judicial      
  killings. Since 1997, U.S. assistance to the Cambodian people has been      
  provided mainly through non-governmental organizations, which flourish in   
  Cambodia.                                                                   
                                                                       
  The United States supports efforts in Cambodia to combat terrorism, build   
  democratic institutions, promote human rights, foster economic development, 
  eliminate corruption, achieve the fullest possible accounting for Americans 
  missing from Indochina conflict, and to bring to justice those most         
  responsible for serious violations of international humanitarian law        
  committed under the Khmer Rouge regime.                                     
                                                                       
  Principal U.S. Officials                                                    
  Ambassador--Joseph A. Mussomeli                                             
  Deputy Chief of Mission--Piper A. Campbell                                  
  Political Officer--Greg Lawless                                             
  Economic/Commercial Officer--Jennifer Spande                                
  Consular Officer--Anne Simon                                                
  Management Officer--Daniel G. Brown                                         
  Public Affairs Officer--John J. Daigle                                      
  Regional Security Officer--Andrew Simpson, acting                           
                                                                       
  The U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh is located at #1, Street 96, Sangkat Wat     
  Phnom; tel: (855) 23-728-000; fax: (855) 23-728-600.                        
                                                                       
  TRAVEL AND BUSINESS INFORMATION                                             
  The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program advises Americans
  traveling and residing abroad through Consular Information Sheets, Public   
  Announcements, and Travel Warnings. Consular Information Sheets exist for all
  countries and include information on entry and exit requirements, currency  
  regulations, health conditions, safety and security, crime, political       
  disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. embassies and consulates abroad.
  Public Announcements are issued to disseminate information quickly about    
  terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas that  
  pose significant risks to the security of American travelers. Travel Warnings
  are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel 
  to a certain country because the situation is dangerous or unstable.        
                                                                       
  For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad  
  should regularly monitor the Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet
  web site at http://www.travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Caution,
  Public Announcements, and Travel Warnings can be found. Consular Affairs    
  Publications, which contain information on obtaining passports and planning a
  safe trip abroad, are also available at http://www.travel.state.gov. For    
  additional information on international travel, see http://www.usa.gov/     
  Citizen/Topics/Travel/International.shtml.                                  
                                                                       
  The Department of State encourages all U.S citizens who traveling or residing
  abroad to register via the State Department's travel registration website or
  at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. Registration will make your
  presence and whereabouts known in case it is necessary to contact you in an 
  emergency and will enable you to receive up-to-date information on security 
  conditions.                                                                 
                                                                       
  Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be obtained 
  by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada or the regular   
  toll line 1-202-501-4444 for callers outside the U.S. and Canada.           
                                                                       
  The National Passport Information Center (NPIC) is the U.S. Department of   
  State's single, centralized public contact center for U.S. passport         
  information. Telephone: 1-877-4USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778). Customer service   
  representatives and operators for TDD/TTY are available Monday-Friday, 7:00 
  a.m. to 12:00 midnight, Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays.           
                                                                       
  Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S. Centers for 
  Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at 877-FYI-TRIP
  (877-394-8747) and a web site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm give the
  most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or requirements,
  and advice on food and drinking water safety for regions and countries. A   
  booklet entitled "Health Information for International Travel" (HHS         
  publication number CDC-95-8280) is available from the U.S. Government       
  Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, tel. (202) 512-1800.                 
                                                                       
  Further Electronic Information                                              
  Department of State Web Site. Available on the Internet at http://          
  www.state.gov, the Department of State web site provides timely, global     
  access to official U.S. foreign policy information, including Background    
  Notes and daily press briefings along with the directory of key officers of 
  Foreign Service posts and more. The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC)
  provides security information and regional news that impact U.S. companies  
  working abroad through its website http://www.osac.gov                      
                                                                       
  Export.gov provides a portal to all export-related assistance and market    
  information offered by the federal government and provides trade leads, free
  export counseling, help with the export process, and more.                  
  STAT-USA/Internet, a service of the U.S. Department of Commerce, provides   
  authoritative economic, business, and international trade information from  
  the Federal government. The site includes current and historical            
  trade-related releases, international market research, trade opportunities, 
  and country analysis and provides access to the National Trade Data Bank.   

 

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