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ACHIVE ARTICLES |
Cambodia: 1995 |
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1957: Cambodia |
Archives consist of articles that originally appeared in Collier's Year Book (for events of 1997 and earlier) or as monthly updates in Encarta Yearbook (for events of 1998 and later). Because they were published shortly after events occurred, they reflect the information available at that time. Cross references refer to Archive articles of the same year. 1995: Cambodia Two years after UN-organized elections, Cambodia's unstable coalition government showed increased intolerance for dissent in 1995, imposing press censorship, stifling parliamentary opposition, and using the judiciary to punish its critics. On May 23 the popular former finance minister, Sam Rainsy, was expelled from the royalist Funcinpec (one of the two coalition parties), and on June 22 he was expelled from the National Assembly at the request of First Prime Minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh after refusing to stop criticizing the government. In August six pamphleteers were arrested in Phnom Penh for accusing the government of being corrupt and antidemocratic; they were freed in September. Also in August police at a roadblock near the residence of co-Prime Minister Hun Sen mistakenly fired on and wounded three foreign motorcyclists from Australia, Britain, and Bulgaria; the police were on heightened alert because a recent training exercise by 100 of Ranariddh's bodyguards was suspected to be a possible coup attempt. Khmer Rouge guerrillas continued to fight in the northwest. In March, 12 government soldiers were killed by Thai forces when they chased Khmer guerrillas over the border. Widespread use of land mines in the civil war added to Cambodia's 30,000 amputees. At a Phnom Penh conference in June, King Norodom Sihanouk indicted mine-producing countries as major contributors to the problem. Drug trafficking was a major corrupting and disruptive influence. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration identified Cambodia as an important transit point for narcotics produced in Myanmar (Burma) and Laos, and Interpol reported that up to 300 of the world's most wanted criminals had taken refuge there because of inadequate law enforcement and the ease of money laundering. In 1995 there were no local drug-testing facilities, but agreements had been made with the United States and France to train and equip police and customs officials. A major bank scandal in June focused attention on mismanagement and money laundering. Gross domestic product growth of around 7 percent was forecast for 1995 (up from 5.2 percent in 1994). Rice production fell well short of the 10 percent growth target, owing to widespread droughts and floods. Inflation slowed from double digits to below 10 percent by midyear, partly attributed to more stable rice prices and to higher-denomination bank notes issued in March in an effort to boost confidence in the local currency. Foreign investment (especially from other Asian countries) continued to expand, as did economic aid. Aid accounted for half of the government's revenues of $407 million for 1995.
Microsoft ® Encarta ® Encyclopedia 2002. © 1993-2001
Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
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