The Fate of Charity Organizations in Cambodia

This research analyzes the effectiveness of international aid organizations across Cambodia by concentrating on three organizations as case studies to illustrate the situation. Cambodia’s history is rich in culture but also ridden with countless conflicts. The intervention of the United Nations Transitional Authority in 1991 led to the signing of the Paris Peace Accords by the previous king Norodom Sihanouk and the current Prime Minister Hun Sen. One of the impacts this had was the opening of Cambodia to the world of globalization, notably the increasing presence of international aid organizations and entrepreneurs in the country. To this day, however, Cambodia remains a state with a cloudy democracy. Evidence of this is in the Lango draft law signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen, which makes aid organization registrations compulsory and only possible through governmental approval. This raises concern, as it may be percieved as another way in which the government might further its constrictions on the human rights which bottom-up aid organizations have been encouraging. Through my own experience as a volunteer in Cambodia and subsequent research of historical texts and online journals, it is clear that aid organizations are making a positive and significant difference for the country. Research highlights the crucial role aid has played in changing post-conflict societies like Cambodia for the better