Voluntary agencies have had to play a major part in resourcing essential services such as health, education and social welfare. Any chance of a 'peace dividend' from the demobilization and disarmament of the four factions disappeared last June, when the Khmer Rouge refused to comply with the Paris Accords on demobilization and disarmament. Roger Lawrence is keen to bring Cambodia firmly into the orbit of the IMF and World Bank. In September 1992 he attended their annual meeting on behalf of Cambodia. Cambodia desperately needs financial help if it is to rebuild.
Western donors argue that Cambodia lacks the infrastructure to absorb large amounts of aid.
For Cambodia the future must lie in the painful reconstruction of an essentially agrarian economy. It would be a poor reflection on the UN operation if its legacy to Cambodia were little more than an environmental and economic 'basket case' suitable for treatment only by World Bank and IMF 'structural adjustment' programmes. Freelance journalist Paul Donovan recently returned from Cambodia. The old man is a survivor with a family savaged by conflict but happy to be together again. The old man squats down on his heels in a classic Cambodian gesture.