LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Cambodia
built 235 days ago
Cambodia's first-ever democratic elections were held in May, 1993, supervised by a large UN peacekeeping mission. Royalists won the largest bloc of national assembly seats (58 out of 120); Hun Sen's party came in second, and a coalition government with co-premiers—Prince Norodom Ranariddh and Hun Sen—was formed. The government administration remained populated largely by bureaucrats who had operated under the Hun Sen regime. The Khmer Rouge, who had boycotted the elections, continued armed opposition, retaining control of substantial territory in the N and W parts of the country. A new constitution reestablished the monarchy, and in Sept., 1993, Sihanouk became king. Attempts at mediation with the Khmer Rouge failed, and fighting continued.
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From the 9th century to the 15th century Cambodia was the centre of the Khmer Empire, which for most of this period was based at Angkor. Angkor Wat, the empire's main temple, remains a symbol of the country and its greatest tourist attraction. Cambodia was a protectorate of France from 1863 until independence in 1953. During the 1970s and 1980s the country suffered from civil war and the Khmer Rouge autogenocide. Many people were killed or tortured, or fled abroad as refugees. In the 1990s... Cambodia has gained some stability and has begun rebuilding the infrastructure that was lost during those years.
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Although Cambodia had a rich and powerful past under the Hindu state of Funan and the Kingdom of Angkor, by the mid-19th century the country was on the verge of dissolution. After repeated requests for French assistance, a protectorate was established in 1863. By 1884, Cambodia was a virtual colony; soon after it was made part of the Indochina Union with Annam, Tonkin, Cochin-China, and Laos. France continued to control the country even after the start of World War II through its Vichy government. In 1945, the Japanese dissolved the colonial administration, and King Norodom Sihanouk declared an independent, anti-colonial government under Prime Minister Son Ngoc Thanh in March 1945. The Allies deposed this government in October.
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In Cambodia, where government efforts that support partnership with sex workers have led to a dramatic decrease in HIV infection rates, IJM’s raids are denounced by human rights activists. In a 2002 raid on a Phnom Penh brothel, IJM "rescued" Vietnamese women who were then turned over to immigration officials. These women were eventually released, possibly to their brothel owners. This means that no significant change or help had been given to them. This is a common result of such raids: women presumed to be trafficked are offered no real help and are placed at risk for deportation, and they are less trustful of police and NGO workers after the experience.
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In March 2003 the UN and Cambodia announced that after five years they had finally agreed on a special tribunal to try senior Khmer Rouge officials on charges of genocide. Among those who were expected to stand trial were Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, who ran the notorious Tuol Sleng prison, and Ta Mok, alias The Butcher, who died in 2006 before his trial took place. In April 2005, the UN agreed to a funding arrangement for the tribunal. Prosecutors made their first indictment in July 2007, charging Kaing Guek Eav with crimes against humanity. In November, he sought bail on charges against humanity, becoming the first Khmer Rouge defendant to appear in court. In September 2007, Nuon Chea, who was second-in-command to Pol Pot, was arrested and charged with war crimes.
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Cambodia joined UNESCO in 1951, and an office opened in 1991. An international program for the protection of Angkor began in 1991 implemented by the Cambodian government, UNESCO, and the international community. The site was removed from the world heritage in danger list in 2004, and a new five-year program to safeguard the Bayon Temple at Angkor was launched in 2005. The Cambodian intangible cultural heritage is rich in both variety and quality. There are at least 21 forms of Cambodian performing arts including dance, music, theatre and circus. However, 90% of Cambodias artists, dancers, musicians, actors, playwrights and poets perished during the Khmer Rouge period and many of the dances and theatre forms were lost forever.
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