ABC Radio Australia
Since the early 1990's, Cambodia has been something of a testing ground for foreign aid and the delivery of programs to help a broken country get back on track.
It's been an uncertain exercise.
The UN spent two billion dollars on peacekeeping and elections in 1993 and then allowed Hun Sen to remain Co-Prime Minister, despite him losing to Norodom Ranariddh.
Billions more have been spent on aid projects in the last two decades to improve the lives of Cambodians and to promote democracy.
But has it been effective?
Sophal Ear has written a book called 'Aid Dependence in Cambodia: How Foreign Assistance Undermines Democracy'
Sophal Ear was born in Cambodia, fled the Khmer Rouge with his family to France and then to the US, where he gained Masters and PhD degrees in agricultural economics, public affairs and political science. He is an Assistant Professor of National Security Affairs at the US Naval Postgraduate School in California.
In this interview, Sophal Ear does not represent the views of the Navy or US Government but speaks as the author of this provocative book.
Presenter: Liam Cochrane
Speakers: Sophal Ear, Author, Aid Dependence in Cambodia: How Foreign Assistance Undermines Democracy.
Cambodian scholar suggests harmful effects of aid dependence (Credit: ABC)
3 comments:
Here is another disconnected intellectual. Without foreign aid, would he and his sibling be in US today?
The country and the people benefit tremendously from foreign aids which come in different forms. How can he not see that?
Shall we crook the pointing fingers toward ourselves? Japan a former foreign aid recipient would never agree with this shallow statement.
I did agree though that aid recuperation policy by the donors themselves should be revised.
Yes, every country needs help once in awhile so that she can stand up on her own.
When can Khmer stands on her own without aids? 30, 40, 50, 100 years?
What incentive there is to wean out these handouts when government officials can become rich out of them?
Keep Khmer poor and ignorant and continually beg for others's sympathy seem to work well for Sen's government.
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