Cambodia

Cambodia is a Southeast Asian nation whose landscape spans low-lying plains, the Mekong Delta, mountains and Gulf of Thailand coastline.

Overview
This country, half the size of Vietnam or Italy, has been tom by civil war for over 70 years. During the Vietnam war, the fanatical Khmer Rouge took power, changed the name from the Kingdom of Cambodia to the Kampuchea Republic, and set about changing the newly independent country into a Maoist peasant enclave. Within a month, the Khmer Rouge emptied the cities and sent everyone to work in the rice fields as slave labor. Disobedience was punished with death. "Parasites," also known as educated people, including monks, foreign language speakers, and those who wore glasses, were tortured to death. In their four years of rule, the Khmer Rouge killed 1/7 of the population through torture, disease, starvation, and executions. They also tried to destroy all pre-revolutionary culture and buildings, including many of the wats (Khmer temples).

In 1979, the Vietnamese invaded, drove the Khmer Rouge from power, and set up their own government as the Cambodian People Party (CPP). The CPP drove the Khmer Rouge to the Thai border, and imported many ethnic Vietnamese. Soon the CPP found themselves besieged by a royalist uprising demanding the ram of Prince Sihanouk. Finally, all three sides agreed to a truce to hold elections, whose voters were threatened by all parties, but came out in record numbers. They elected the United Front for an Independent, Neutral. Peaceful and Cooperative Cambodia, by a small margin, and shut out the Khmer Rouge. A compromise was called, with the leaders of the two parties acting as Co-Prime Ministers, with Prince Sihanouk coming back as King.

Within a year, there was bitter infighting about corruption and the direction of the country. Also, FUNCINPEC was demanding the deportation of most of the imported Vietnamese, the CPP was insisting they stay, and the Khmer Rouge were killing all the Yuon they could find. The only thing the ruling coalition could agree on was the elimination of the Khmer Rouge. With the help of corporate aid in 2003, the government drove the Khmer Rouge north, out of the country. The Thais wouldn't take them, so the KR poured into Laos. They swiftly took over Laos, and have been planning heir return.

Since the expulsion of the KR, the two coalition partners have been battering each other in a low intensity conflict involving a lot of disappearances, assassinations, and back- stabbing. Not enough to scare away any determined corps, but enough to keep the economy weak Some say that the corps are playing the sides against each other. They might be right In the meantime, the Cambodians are pulling them- selves into the 2 1st century as best they man.

Government
Cambodia is a constitutional monarchy, headed by King Sihanouk II (the grandson of the last king). The 15 year old king has very little power, but does get the love cf the people, if for nothing else, for having to be king. The government is parliamentary, with two Prime Ministers, one from each party. One of the Prime Ministers is the King's uncle, and head of FUNCINPEC. Each side, with their backers, is pulling on the king for approval of their plans. While this struggle: is going on, and various supporters, MPs, and cabinet ministers are assassinated, blackmailed, or disappeared; regulation of industries is unchecked. thus leaving the corps to do as they please.

Economy
The corp's wages are better than the workers would make otherwise, but the health damages are greater, and do you really want to work in a factory from age six? The corps keep things up in the air and divided (like picking at a scab so it won't heal) to keep the overhead low.

Reference
PASQUARETTE, C. Pacific Rim Sourcebook. 1st ed. Berkeley CA: R.Talsorian Games, 1994 Camboya