Historian David Chandler Talks About Cambodia

[Anchor Moy]

And he's not very optimistic...

David P. Chandler has spent more than half a century studying Cambodia, and became one of the foremost historians on the country and its people. Now 83 years old, Chandler is an emeritus professor at Monash University, Australia. (Courtesy Photo)

[Editor’s Note: David P. Chandler first visited Cambodia in 1960 as a member of the United States Foreign Service. He has spent more than half a century studying Cambodia, and became one of the foremost historians on the country and its people. From the comprehensive “A History of Cambodia” to his dissection of the Khmer Rouge’s main torture center in “Voices from S-21,” Chandler has charted more of the country’s turbulent and often bloody past than any other scholar.
Now 83 years old, Chandler sat down with VOA Khmer’s Ten Soksreinith in Bethesda, Maryland, last month to look back on the country’s history and forward into its future.
The discussion ranged from the merits of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, to opposition leader Sam Rainsy, to succession in the ruling Cambodian People’s Party. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.]

Interview here:
http://www.voacambodia.com/a/david-chan ... 32139.html

As reported by the Cambodia Daily:

Historian Says HE Will Never Be Beaten

https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/hist ... en-112708/

[juansweetpotato]

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

I'm already suspicious. It is the VOA after all.

“Now, Cambodia does not stand alone but we are integrated with globalization and regionalization, and this pushes the country. Many countries are moving toward political reform in order to respond to the demands of economic liberalization,” Mr. Panha said.

“If they don’t have legitimacy, how can they deal with the risks when people protest?”

He added that he could not discount Mr. Chandler’s predictions given the government’s recent suppression of dissent, but that current trajectory of other Southeast Asian dictatorships was cause for some optimism.

China

[Anchor Moy]

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

I'm already suspicious. It is the VOA after all.

Yeah, sorry if it wasn't clear, I meant to put VOA in the heading. You need to know where it's coming from, but I thought it was worth the read. Helps to put the CD article in perspective also.