Development and/or Rights?

Cambodia’s economy is booming. But is that growth despite its authoritarian political situation, or because of it? Will rising standards of living lead to political freedoms, or is it the other way around? A recent NYTimes op-ed forum asks how the US should treat emerging economies with authoritarian leaders and poor human rights records. The countries in question here are Rwanda and Ethiopia, but Cambodia would be equally relevant, especially given President Obama’s highly publicized (at least in Cambodia) recent trip to the country for the ASEAN summit, as well as the American foreign policy ‘pivot’ towards Asia.

Human rights advocates have suggested making future aid to Cambodia conditional on political reform, while others have pushed to end aid money completely. But implementing either idea opens the door even wider for China, which has no scruples about human rights. And there are some that praise the Chinese model, which prioritizes infrastructure improvements and business investment, claiming that economic development will inevitably lead to greater transparency and a more empowered citizenry.  After twenty-some years of aid with limited success, it is certainly time to consider other options. But given the land-grabbing controversies and the entrenched power of the well-connected here, I wonder who stands to gain from ‘business investment’ in Cambodia. Anyone who has spent time on Cambodia’s roadways has seen the trucks full of young women being driven to and from ominous looking garment factories at odd hours. Meanwhile, mansions in Phnom Penh get bigger and more elaborate with each passing day. 

And finally there are those that claim that Cambodia's 'growth' is an illusion: the rich are getting richer, foreign investors are making profits, but the general population is barely better off than it was during the UNTAC period. Another 'Room for Debate' discusses the recent conflict in the Congo, but I couldn't help but to think of Cambodia when one of the writers described land grabbing and opaque distribution of resource wealth as a key impediment to progress.