NEWSPAPER
Volume 3 Issue 29
1 December 2005
CAMBODIA The United States was one of the principal architects of the 1991 Paris Peace Accords, effectively ending decades of civil war in Cambodia. Promotion of democracy, good governance, and continued improvement of human rights remain among the principal U.S. foreign policy objectives in Cambodia. Addressing global problemsincluding infectious disease, especially HIV/AIDSis also a vital concern. With assistance from the United States, Cambodia passed a law providing for prosecution of senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge in a mixed tribunal and is in discussion with the United Nations about making it operational. Cambodia was admitted to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1999 and joined the World Trade Organization in late 2004.
governing institutions, including a new constitution and national assembly. Regular national elections have been held, starting in 1993 and again in 1998 and 2003. In a move toward decentralization, Cambodia's first multiparty local elections were held on February 3, 2002. Cambodia's struggle to rebuild comes after 30 years of civil strife and war, including the genocidal Khmer Rouge period. Educated Cambodiansteachers, manag-
tancy is only in the mid fifties. Infant mortality stands at 95 per 1,000 live births. Maternal mortality rates are among the highest in Asia. Cambodia's also faces the most serious documented HIV/AIDS epidemic in the region. Official adult literacy rates are placed at 55% for females and 71% for males. Only one in three girls complete primary school; for boys, the rate is just over 50%. Not surprisingly, Cambodia's
High Population Growth Rate Cambodia's population now exceeds 13 million. While the population declined during the Khmer Rouge period, these losses have been more than made up by high fertility over the past two decades, especially in the baby boom of the early 1980s. Cambodia's population growth still exceeds 2% per year, high by ASEAN standards and out-paced only by Laos within the region.
The past decade witnessed the establishment of important ZAMAN NEWSPAPER Zaman, Publisher Guler Erken, Editor-in Chief Gurkan Cil, Editor at Large
Prepared by 9-E Zaman International School Newspaper dedicated to educating students and training journalists. Published 2 times a month in Zaman International School. Copyright 2003 by the Zaman International School. All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced in print or electronically without the consent of The Zaman International School.
region, Cambodia stands out for having a dynamic civil society. The social, political and economic fabric of the country has changed radically over the past decade, creating many new opportunities. The entrepreneurial skill, the determination to survive and succeed, the maturation of civil society, the willingness to try new ideas, the resilience of the Cambodian peopleall provide grounds for hope, despite the tragedies and violence of the past.
ers, doctors, nurses and other skilled professionalswere specifically targeted by the Khmer Rouge and almost completely wiped out. A new generation of Cambodians will have access to better educational opportunities. However, the harsh legacy of the past still endures. Cambodia ranks 130th out of 173 on the United Nations Development Program's 2002 Human Development Index. Annual per capita GDP is less than $300. Agriculture remains the main source of income for most Cambodians, more than 80% of whom continue to live in rural areas. Approximately 36% of all households live below the poverty line. Social indicators are among the worst I the region. Life expec-
s h a t t e r e d s o c i e t y, r a v a g e d infrastructure and decimated human resource base from the many years of war and neglect constitutes a serious constraint to development. As a result, improving skills and building institutions is a key concern in virtually every area of society. Cambodia is now a country in transition at many levels. Politically, it has shifted from communism toward democracy. Economically, it has moved from being one of the most closed economies in the world to one of the most open. After years of conflict there is now relative stability and peace. Cambodia is also strengthening international ties within the region and beyond. Among developing countries and especially transition economies in the
Depleted Human Resource Base Cambodia's human resource base is seriously depleted following years of fighting and inadequate financial resources for education. The situation is especially striking in comparison to other countries in the region. For example, the UNDP Development Report for 2001 placed literacy levels for the population over age 15 at 68%. By contrast, the same report places literacy rates at more than 93% in Vietnam, more than 95% in Thailand and more than 83% in China.