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Thayer Consultancy Background Briefing:

ABN # 65 648 097 123


Cambodia: Hun Sen Courts
Khmer-Chinese to Protect
Stability
Carlyle A. Thayer
February 6, 2017
[client name deleted]
We are drafting a report on Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's dinner with 5,240
members of the Khmer-Chinese and overseas Chinese community on Saturday, 4th
February.
This gathering, according to a spokesperson at the Chinese Embassy, was the first of
its kind. At the meeting Hun Sen asked Khmer-Chinese to support further Sino-
Cambodian cooperation through the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of
Cooperation and the Belt and Road initiative. He also asked Khmer-Chinese to "protect
stability" in Cambodia and to help attract more investment and tourism into the
country. We request your assessment of the following issues:
Q1. In concrete form, what would this "cooperation" resemble on the part of Khmer-
Chinese and how would they be expected to "promote stability"?
ANSWER: Hun Sen was advocating political support from the Khmer-Chinese
community for the Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) and political support against
opposition to the CCP regime, and soliciting financial contributions to the CPP and its
officials.
Q2. Since Chinese Cambodians are an important part of the Cambodian business
sector, are they expected to promote stability by continuing to help grow the
Cambodian economy?
ANSWER: Yes, Hun Sen was calling on the Khmer-Chinese to work with mainland
Chinese on business ventures and create a favourable environment for mainland
Chinese investment. Hun Sen was trying to optimize shared culture and language of
the Khmer-Chinese as a conduit to the mainland Chinese.
Q3. Does their over representation in Cambodia's business sector cause resentment,
and if so, does it undermine "stability" in Cambodia?
ANSWER: There are two aspects. First, views about the Khmer-Chinese community are
mixed in Cambodia. On the negative side there is some jealousy and resentment over
their leading role in the domestic economy by the underclass in urban areas. This
resentment is even greater when mainland Chinese work with Khmer-Chinese to the
disadvantage of ethnic Cambodian workers. Political stability in Cambodia is more
likely to be upset by anti-Vietnamese ethno-nationalist sentiment. But there are issues
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that arouse anti-China sentiment mistreatment of Cambodian workers, illegal land


seizure to benefit mainland Chinese and their local partners, and pollution by Chinese
industries.
Q4. How might Cambodian Chinese civil society be expected to play a role in
"promoting stability"?
ANSWER: There are many academic definitions of civil society. In its original sense civil
society referred to trade guilds. Thus Chinese chambers of commerce and specific
guilds around crafts and other trades could play an information and advocacy role on
domestic and commercial issues. Leaders of these civil society groups would serve as
points of contact for the government.
Civil society has come to take on an expanded role including promoting local
development and non-political associational activity. Finally, political civil society has
emerged with groups promoting gender equity, human rights, democracy and
religious freedom. Ethnic Khmer have been conspicuous in these groups.

Suggested citation: Carlyle A. Thayer, Cambodia: Hun Sen Courts Khmer-Chinese to


Protect Stability, Thayer Consultancy Background Brief, February, 2017. All
background briefs are posted on Scribd.com (search for Thayer). To remove yourself
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Thayer Consultancy provides political analysis of current regional security issues and
other research support to selected clients. Thayer Consultancy was officially
registered as a small business in Australia in 2002.

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