Cambodia's Post-Cold War Dilemma: Democratization, Armed Conflict, and Authoritarianism

Summary

Liberal scholars would contend that democratization is the sure path towards peace. Liberal democracies, they say, have never fought each other. To them, the post-Cold War global resurgence of democracy may be just the perfect assurance that we may well be on the way to living in a peaceful world. What most liberal scholars have not given enough thought to is the question of whether there is a relationship between democratization and war at the domestic, not the international, level. In this article, I will argue that pushing for rapid democratization in conditions of domestic anarchy may result in permanent conflict rather than peace and may work against democracy. Cambodia serves as an interesting study because of its enigmatic history awash with violence and blood. Although the United Nations and the international community have helped to nurture pandemic democratic values in this war-torn state, the process of democratization has so far failed to consolidate itself.1 Because they adopted an anti-Khmer Rouge policy in favour of rapid democratization, some influential external actors have inadvertently contributed to the perpetuation of the armed conflict and to the creation of a new authoritarian regime.

U.N. Intervention and Cambodian Democratization

The principal aim of the United Nations in getting involved in Cambodia between November 1991 and September 1993 was to create a neutral political environment for free and fair elections. It may be useful to look at the process of Cambodian democratization, starting from the time the war broke out and explaining why the Cambodian factions signed their peace agreement in 1991. The U.N. mission was a limited success story.

Democracy by External Intervention

After a brief period of democratic experiment following World War II (still under French colonial rule), Cambodia reverted to authoritarianism. Since the late 1960s Cambodia has been at war, thus making it difficult for the country to be a prospect for democracy. After a period of political stability under the leadership of Prince Sihanouk (Head of State), the country plunged into instability and chaos.