Abstract This paper examines the value of foreign aid programs, which has always been debated, for providing foreign aid to underdeveloped countries is a process that is far from perfect. Upon examining all of the pertinent issues and choosing a position to support, this paper shows that reciprocity should influence decisions involving foreign aid assistance to Cambodia, even though this may reduce the humanitarian benefits of foreign aid and harm the innocent along with the guilty. But realistic assessments must prevail, for throwing money at problems is not a solution and never has been.
From the Paper "The value of foreign aid programs has always been debated, for providing foreign aid to underdeveloped countries is a process that is far from perfect. Upon examining all of the pertinent issues and choosing a position to support, it is evident that reciprocity should influence decisions involving foreign aid assistance to Cambodia, even though this may reduce the humanitarian benefits of foreign aid and harm the innocent along with the guilty. But realistic assessments must prevail, for throwing money at problems is not a solution and never has been. (Johnson) Idealistic proponents of foreign aid contend that American foreign aid to the Cambodian government is not the problem, administering it is the problem."
Abstract This paper looks at how foreign politics triumphed over law in judging genocide in Cambodia. The author feels that foreign influences on Cambodia is the most plausible explanation of why Cambodia became embarked on a path of terror, and how political imperatives continued to outweigh the need to punish genocide. The author looks at Cambodia's history, from when they were a great power in the region, and continues to show how they subsequently became threatened by foreign nations which brought with it centuries of decline in both political, economic and military power. The role that the Cold War played in Cambodian politics, both internal and international is also examined in detail, as are the policies adopted by the Khmer Rouge during the 1980s in an attempt to soften its image in the western world.
From the Paper "While the world had offered aid to the Khmer Rouge regime when it occupied Cambodia, which the Khmer Rouge refused consistent with its policy of self-reliance, when Vietnam occupied Cambodia, the West refused to provide aid at all leaving only Vietnam and USSR to provide humanitarian aid to avert famine. When aid was finally provided, Western nations only provided it to refugee camps along the Western border with Thailand, territory which was also home to Khmer Rouge guerrilla fighters, to ensure that at least some of the aid went to the Khmer Rouge and their supporters. With the support of the West, the UN voted to continue to recognize the Khmer Rouge regime and offer them a seat at the UN in lieu of the Vietnamese-backed government, which controlled the capital and the vast majority of the country."
Abstract This paper details the rise of the the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, looks at the atrocities committed against the Cambodian peoples under the leadership of Khmer Rouge leader, Pol Pot, and talks about how the international community was responsible for the conditions that allowed Pol Pot to take control of Cambodia. The paper also points out that, while those responsible for bringing such a holocaust upon the Cambodian peoples can no longer be held accountable or brought to justice, the international community can hold a 'truth commission' that would bring to light the horrific events of the past and help Cambodia bring about an atmosphere of reconciliation and hope for the future. The paper includes a 1000-word annotated bibliography.
From the Paper "Approximately thirty years ago, in 1975, a murderous government led by a man with a philosophy that is almost impossible to understand, came to power in Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge governed the country for only three years but, it was a three years that the Cambodians and Cambodia have not been able to recover from until now. The Khmer Rouge, under the leadership of Pol Pot carried out a holocaust years against ordinary Cambodian citizens that had committed no crime. Almost two million people died and the world did absolutely nothing to stop the killing. As Jerry Adler and Ron Moreau explains in "The Devil's Due," Pol Pot, the leader of this murderous regime, had a philosophy behind the killings. From his point of view, Cambodia and the Cambodian people were hopeless and no reform policies would change the situation or transform them into a developed and educated people."
Abstract This paper examines how in Cambodia alone there are an estimated 24,500 prostitutes less than 17 years old, each of whom services approximately 2,000 men per year. This situation is clearly a gross violation of the human rights of these children. Focusing on the situation in Cambodia, this paper argues that, as citizens of the world, all decent people must strive to put an end to this situation.
From the Paper "Millions of children around the world currently work as prostitutes. Many of these children are in developing countries. Men travel to these countries from all over the world, often with the primary purpose of sexually abusing children. In Cambodia alone there are an estimated 24,500 prostitutes less than 17 years old, each of whom services approximately 2,000 men per year. "
Abstract The paper analyzes the social-psychological influences that dominated Cambodia during the late 20th century. The paper discusses three major causes of genocide; passive bystanders, historical antagonism and victimization and socialization of violence. The paper then shows how the factors that led to the Khmer Rouge rise and eventual deaths of close to three million Cambodians will always impact this country.
Outline:
The Passive Bystander
Historical Antagonism
Victimization and Socialization of Violence
Cambodia Today
From the Paper "Ervin Staub is well known for his extended research on the major acts of genocide of the 20th century. Staub not only conducted decade long research studies on the events that occurred during the Khmer Rouge and other authoritarian regimes, he also attempts to explain the social and psychological constructs of each country. In an effort to provide information to prevent the spread of genocide, Staub notes that genocide occurs primarily for 3 major reasons: 1. Passive bystanders, in other words Stoicism 2. Historical Antagonism 3. Victimization and socialization of violence."
Abstract The paper discusses Cambodia's ancient temples at Angkor and their remains today. The paper then focuses on the notorious Pol Pot Regime of the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s and their systematic murder of millions of Cambodians. In addition, the paper looks at the strengths of Cambodia's main industries of tourism and textiles.
From the Paper "Cambodia may be most known for the horrendous Pol Pot Regime of the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s, a period when at least 1.7 million Cambodians were systematically executed by the Regime. However, Cambodia's history goes back centuries, to a land that supported bands of hunter-gatherers who eventually settled in areas and began farming the rich lands. The first major settlement known in the area is Angkor in about the ninth century. Many historians believe the society was closely modeled on Indian society (Tully 7-8). Residents traded goods with China, Europe, and India, and they wrote in Sanskrit and worshipped in the Hindu religion, but there were influences of Buddha, as well (Tully 12-13)."
Abstract This paper discusses the measures that Cambodia has put into place to protect women from violence and exploitation. It focuses on domestic or intimate partner violence, explores components contributing to domestic violence and discusses potential counters to criminal behavior. The paper also looks at the policies that Cambodia has developed in order to widen women's access to jobs. The paper contains original sources in an appendix.
Table of Contents:
One Critical Aspect of Family Violence: Violence Against Women
Research Question
Methodology
In Every Country in the World...
Effects of Marital Resources on Domestic Abuse
Prevention Programs from Other South East Asian Developing Countries
Educational Efforts
Service Oriented
Behavior Focused
From the Paper "In Indonesia, Indonesian Women's Association for Justice (LBH APIK) provides Gender Training to Law Enforcement Officers, which could prove to be effective in Cambodia. Yayasan Jurnal Perempuan, attempts to increase awareness of domestic violence through the media, however, may not prove to be as effective, due to the rural, isolated areas a large portion of women live in. Komisi Nasional Anti Kekerasan Terhadap Perempuan - KNAKTP
National Commission on Violence Against Women addresses policy reform at the national level, which may or may not prove to be effective in Cambodia, depending on officials leading government. (Organizations Addressing VAW, 2008) Findings from the survey reported by Knight (2006) stress that the challenge "to establish and implement a culture-sensitive standard of justice," is at times difficult. Forum Pemerhati Masalah Perempuan - FPMP, which focusing on raising awareness in a rural area (Organizations Addressing VAW, 2008) could benefit Cambodia, provided the awareness includes relating feasible solutions."
Abstract This paper examines subtle ways of attaining and challenging political power, focusing on the role of society groups and religion. It focuses how an authoritarian regime can quell dissent through outlawing religion, as was the case in Cambodia. Conversely, it then looks at how the use of religious imagery and tradition can also awaken dissent among orderly society.
From the Paper "In many Southeast Asian states, power is often maintained through overt strategies, such as a controlled media and military-supported dictatorships. Cambodia, for example, suffered under the brutal rule of the Khmer Rouge, under the dictatorship of Pol Pot. Under the Pol Pot regime, an estimated two million Cambodians, one-seventh of the country's population, died from malnutrition, starvation and exhaustion during years of slave labor. Khmer Rouge soldiers executed 200,000 accused "class enemies" outright (Chandler vii)."
Abstract This paper explains in the review of Loung Ung's book "First They Killed my Father" that the Khmer Rouge was one of the most vicious and violent regimes in world history and asks why the world stood by and watched while two million people died horrible deaths. The author believes that while the book vividly shows the experiences of Ung's family, it is important to understand how a regime like the Khmer Rouge could gain such power, keep such power, and eradicate so many people in such a relatively short period. The author thinks that, historically, Ung's account of her four years under Khmer Rouge rule is an accurate account for the people in her area; but written by another, in another area of Cambodia, the story could have been entirely different.
From the Paper "Before the regime, Cambodia was reasonably technologically advanced, and relied on a wide variety of trade and business options. The Khmer Rouge seemed to want to take the country backward into the dark ages, reliant on no outside corrupting "Western" influences, but also unable to compete in the modern, mechanized world. A country cannot survive when it is held back from advancing along with the rest of the world, and becoming "self-reliant" based totally on rice is not only ridiculous, it is short-sighted. As the author notes, "Though the Angkar says we are all equal in Democratic Kampuchea, we are not. We live and are treated like slaves. In our garden, the Angkar provides us with seeds and we may plant anything we choose, but everything we grow belongs not to us but to the community" (Ung 66). This shortsightedness will be the regime's downfall, as it has with any cruel and violent regime throughout history. You cannot treat people so cruelly without them rising up in revolt, no matter how much you try to control them. The killing and the viciousness turned the author into someone who truly hated Pol Pot and his regime, and it did the same to thousands of others. "His government has created a vengeful, bloodthirsty people. Pol Pot has turned me into someone who wants to kill"."
Abstract The paper notes that the beginning of the ascendancy of the Khmer Rouge and so the road to auto-genocide in Cambodia, can be found in Vietnam and the Vietnamese War, which begin in the 1950s under the French and then transferred to the conflict involving the United States on the side of South Vietnam. The paper also considers how genocide changed to auto-genocide as a culture of killing became the norm for the leadership.
From the Paper "The beginning of the ascendancy of the Khmer Rouge and so the road to auto-genocide in Cambodia, can be found in Vietnam and the Vietnamese War, which begin in the 1950s under the French and then transferred to the conflict involving the United States on the side of South Vietnam. Kiernan (2004) traces the beginnings of the Khmer Rouge by considering Pol Pot's development in the 1960s and how that leader used genocide to eliminate certain minorities in the country. He started a process that in time turned on itself and expanded beyond the minorities of the Vietnamese, the Chinese and the Muslim Cham (Kiernan, 2004, p. 345). The Vietnamese eventually invaded Cambodia and fought against a coalition of communist and non-communist resistance elements. The Vietnamese were joined by the forces of the new Phnom Penh government."
Abstract This paper discusses the genocides in Cambodia and Rwanda and how the United Nations failed to respond although their intervention was sought in both countries. The author finds that the U.S. was responsible for the removal of UN peacekeepers already in Rwanda, and posits that many lives could have been saved in both countries, had the U.S. taken the internal conflicts in both places seriously.
From the Paper "As with Rwanda, it is clear that the world knew what was happening, at least after a certain point, and yet failed to do all it could to stop the killing. Howard Adelman and Astri Suhrke find that those in charge of various agencies and stats did not know in the beginning that the Tutsis would be subject to genocide, though they did have the information that could have told them this would happen. These groups should have analyzed the data, drawn the proper conclusions, and then done something to prevent what occurred, but they did not, and the authors cite the failure of the UN in particular."
This brief yet concise paper examines the current status of women in post-war Cambodia, which has drastically changed for the worse since the wars of the 1970s and 1980s.
Abstract This paper explores the widening gap between the sexes in post-war Cambodia. Cambodian women have a long history of playing important public roles and in Angkorian times women served as scientists, astronomers and doctors. However, modern Cambodian society has come to place more value on the woman as a homemaker. This paper details how this situation changed drastically with the wars of the 1970s and 1980s. Many women throughout Cambodia found themselves working outside the home, filling jobs that had been previously occupied by men. Women eventually began protesting their sub-standard working conditions and demanded higher wages. This paper examines the basic needs of women that are not being met by the Cambodian government that strongly believes that boys should be educated, while girls stay home, which accounts for the low literacy rates in girls. This paper also details the various international organizations that are geared towards improving the current conditions for women in Cambodia.
From the Paper "Over the next decade, the general per-capita income was much lower than in the rest of the region. Almost every rural household depended heavily on agriculture, particularly on wet rice cultivation. Rice has been the basis for most of Cambodia's foreign trade, for its national self-sufficiency and for its national revenues. There have been very few attempts to industrialize the country, and the manufacturing now is not yet extensive or large-scale. Most of the service sector is focused on trading activities. Furthermore, one of the legacies of thirteen years of war has been the ongoing depletion of the Cambodian workforce. Today, however, with a tentative peace, the workforce numbers about 4 million strong, and fully 50 percent of that population is made up of women."
Abstract This paper examines how children are affected by poverty, sex trafficking and AIDS in relation to the humanitarian relief being done to help quell these social and economic issues in Cambodia. The author uses statistic to reveal the serious problems facing children in Cambodia today caused by the war-like history of this country. The paper suggests that the decline of Khmer Rouge and the wars might enable Cambodia to recover a stable economy and to create a healthy environment for the children of this region.
From the Paper "This international proposal presents the plight of Cambodian children through a humanitarian perspective. By divulging a recent past history of Cambodia, one can learn the desperation and destruction that seriously injured and maimed children within a war-torn country. This study will reveal how the children have undergone the terrors of poverty, sex trafficking, and a rising problem for contracting AIDS within modern Cambodia. The Vietnam War was a critical point in recent Cambodian history in the year 1970. American power placed an immense amount of pressure on King Norodo Sihanouk to stop helping the Vietnamese involved in the Communist struggles of Ho Chi Min. In this manner, Sihanouk was exiled by the communist opposition party Khmer Rouge led by General Lon Nol, to help "the growing communist opposition to American dominance in Southeast Asia" (Chandler 156)."
This paper examines the values and traditions of Hinduism while stressing the importance of reform and modernization of those same traditions and values in order to continue thriving in a more Westernized world.
Abstract This paper focuses on the original values and traditions of Hinduism as well as the flexibility found in this religion which has spawned numerous sects which include Buddhism, the Rama-Krishna movement and Brahmo Samaj. Hinduism offers a unique liberalism that allows followers to remain loyal even when rejecting one or more of its tenets. The writer of this paper discusses how Western thought has stressed the need for social reform in countries such as India and Cambodia. Like Hinduism, Buddhism also needs to address the encroachments of Western civilization. This paper examines how communist-led countries such as Indochina and Cambodia have abolished Hinduism entirely. As both Hinduism as Buddhism stem from the same roots, both faiths continue to grow and face complex challenges caused by an increasingly global society where international interdependence is essential.
From the Paper "Western thought has also influenced the calls for social reform in India. Among the most problematic issues is that of the caste system. Some opponents of this social structure have opted to withdraw into monasticism, while others have chosen the more productive option for lasting change. The introduction of such modern developments as public developments as public transportation and fast-food restaurants has led to a practical relaxation of the prohibition against social contact between separate castes. More dramatic have been affirmative action measures towards outcastes or "backward castes," with such policies advocated by the former British administration, Mahatma Gandhi, and recent political policy. Other practices which have fallen victim to social reforms include child marriage and encouraged population growth."
Abstract This paper presents a case study of a girl who emmigrated from Cambodia to Canada. It describes the issues that are related to her integration into a new school in Canada. The paper begins by presenting the case study. It discusses the background of Cambodia and why the girl's family chose to leave. The paper then looks at the traditions and the behavior of the girl and describes the language issues that she has on arrival in Canada. Finally, the paper discusses goals for language development and adjustment into the school.
Table of Contents:
Introduction - Chantrea's Background
Behaviors, Attitudes & Traditions
Language
Goals for Language Development
Activities / Strategies Regarding the "Four Strands of Language Arts"
Adjustment in the Classroom
From the Paper "It is important that Chantrea should maintain a sense of pride in her culture whilst she assimilates to Canadian life. Many Cambodian immigrants escape the oppressive governmental regime to flock to North America, though this does not mean the Cambodian culture and traditional values should be forgotten. Chantrea may be able to join up with an after-school group, such as the equivalent of the Khmer Emerging Education Program (KEEP) in the United States (World, 2003). Such groups boast teachers which aim to "breathe life into literary figures and historical accounts, using movies, photographs, personal stories, and textbooks" from Cambodian sources. Learning about the Cambodian cultural background on a continuing basis will help the child also form a strong bond with her family and their origins."
