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After the ruthless regime of the Khmer Rouge and the political instability that followed, a Cambodian constitution was set up in 1993. It established Cambodia as a parliament-run democracy with a monarchy, similar to that of Great Britain. A king is chosen by a Throne Council from a group of royal candidates, and a prime minister is chosen by the king. The only government body elected directly by the people is one of the two legislative branches, the National Assembly. The other branch is elected by a council. Although this form of government is considered a democracy, the Cambodian people have little to do with the election process.

Therefore, the Cambodian system remains extremely unjust. Led by Prime Minister Hun Sen, the government has tried to stifle anything hinting at a human rights movement. Its justice system is extremely corrupt, and government officials who have committed illegal acts are rarely prosecuted. Members of parliament are given "parliamentary immunity," or a sort of pardon for any crimes. People who speak out against the government, however, are convicted easily. Some improvements have been made, though; there has been a recent crackdown on human trafficking, and the World Bank has helped to get some anti-corruption legislation passed.

There are four main political parties in Cambodia, but the government is generally controlled by only one. The Cambodian People's Party, or CPP, controls both the justice department and the National Assembly. The party has gained enough power to be able to work according to its own agendas, which includes eliminating opposition by sometimes brutal means. There are some parties that have been able to counteract the CPP, like the FUNCINPEC Party, but none have been able to gain the majority. Another relatively popular party is the Sam Rainsy Party, or SRP. When Sam Rainsy accused the CPP of condoning corruption in 2005, his parliamentary immunity was removed and several of his colleagues were arrested. He too was eventually arrested after returning from exile, but was given a full pardon by King Norodom Sihamoni.

Despite the human rights grievances and one-party rule that still goes on today, we must keep the Cambodian government in perspective. Cambodia has been able to avoid communism and reestablish itself after the Khmer Rouge, and it has had a relatively small amount of time to create a democracy and a working constitution. Things are getting better for Cambodians and their government, and progress will continue to be made.

Learn more about this author, Sandra Dapper.
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