Relational peace among elites in Cambodia? chapter by Johanna Söderström
Channel: Manchester University Press
Date: 2023-10-18

In this video, author Johanna Söderström presents her chapter “Relational peace among elites in Cambodia? Domination, distrust and dependency.”

The continuity of elites after war remains the norm despite efforts and recommendations to remove them. In order to better understand how peace develops, it is thus essential to pay attention to warring elites who take on prominent roles in post-war politics. This chapter examines the degree of relational peace in the case of Cambodia, where a peace process was initiated in the 1990s. This case is thus particularly useful if we want to understand the development of peace in the long run. Cambodia is an extreme case in terms of elite continuity, and often categorized as a hybrid peace case. This chapter moves beyond that categorization by examining a range of signatories to peace agreements and their relations with their counterparts in the peace agreement from the time the agreement was signed up until April 2018. Based on who signed the Paris Peace Accords on October 23, 1991, this chapter examines the domestic peace signatories and their subsequent political relationship with their main counterpart among the peace signatories over 26 years in Cambodia. The analysis draws on content analysis of newspaper articles where signatories are mentioned, in order to study how elite relations across a previously antagonistic divide have developed. The focus on newspaper articles inherently means a focus on the public role and statements of elites, as these internal elites shape both macro-politics and public opinion. Many years after signing the peace agreement, there are still reasons for concern. Overall, the main relationship is characterized by domination, distrust and ideas of dependency.

For more information about this book visit https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526168962/

Credit:
Music: "Romance for Piano and Cello" by Martijn de Boer (NiGiD) 2015 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0), more details: https://ccmixter.org/files/NiGiD/50238