Prince Norodom Ranariddh: A man for all seasons

We tend to think of royalty, or at least reigning royals, as living links to the past, symbols of constancy and continuity in a world racked by growing peril and uncertainty. King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand led his people through difficult times and provided a sense of stability to his nation. Queen Elizabeth II of England is a symbol of the tradition, the pomp and pageantry we associate with Great Britain. Rarely are there kings, let alone princes who are true reformers. So, it is a real privilege to meet such a royal and one so close to home.

His Royal Highness Samdech Krom Preah Norodom Ranariddh of Cambodia was recently in Manila to pledge his support and cooperation between our two nations to help alleviate poverty in Southeast Asia. A memorandum of agreement was signed by Speaker Jose de Venecia and Prince Ranariddh to create an "anti-poverty" bank to finance pro-poor projects in the region. The Prince, who is the President of the Cambodian National Assembly, is also working towards the establishment of an ASEAN Parliament along the lines of the European Parliament.

In a luncheon forum hosted by the Asia Society Philippines on November 19 at the Tower Club, Prince Ranariddh spoke about democracy and development in Cambodia, a nation emerging from years of war and civil strife. President Fidel V. Ramos, Speaker Jose de Venecia, business leaders, members of the diplomatic community and members of the Asia Society were among those who attended the event. Speaker De Venecia, who delivered the opening remarks, introduced the Prince as "a good friend who is more precious than gold." De Venecia told the audience that the Prince is "one great royal who chose to elect the political option and fight it out in the crucible of politics."

Indeed this is one royal who has taken on various political roles. He was a professor of political sociology and lectured on the political regimes of Southeast Asia while in France. He served as the first Prime Minister of a united and democratic Cambodia. He was President of the FUNCINPEC party that won a decisive victory in the UN organized elections in 1993. He served as commander-in-chief of the National Armies of Sihanoukist. He is also the personal representative of his father, King Norodom Sihanouk, in Cambodia and in the ASEAN. To add to an already impressive list, the Prince is also a film producer who produced and directed his first movie entitled Raja Bori or Royal Land. The Prince, who is the head of the National Assembly, has put forward laws and initiatives designed to attract foreign investors and spur the private sector’s involvement in national development.

Given Cambodia’s history, marked by turmoil and upheaval, he has clearly chosen a difficult path. The great Khmer culture was not only known for its marvelous architecture and temple structures but also for incessant warfare with its neighbors, Vietnam and Thailand, in the name of conquest and supremacy. At its apex, the Khmer kingdom ruled over most of what is known today as Southeast Asia. Historians attribute the decline of the Khmer empire in the 15th century to the costly wars and monumental building projects taken on by a succession of monarchs that eventually drained the coffers of the state and sapped the energy of its people. Angkor was thrice conquered and eventually sacked by the Kingdom of Siam (Thailand) causing its people to abandon their royal capital for good. The weakened Khmer Kingdom turned to Vietnam and Thailand for aid and protection. By the end of the 18th century, Siam captured the new Khmer capital at Lovek.

The French colonial period began with the conquest of Vietnam after which Cambodia was obliged to sign a treaty making it a French protectorate. It remained under French rule for 90 years enjoying a period of relative prosperity. But shortly after it gained independence from France, Cambodia would soon find itself embroiled in the geopolitics of the cold war. It was suddenly and unexpectedly drawn into the Vietnam War. American bombing raids to root out North Vietnamese communist bases in Cambodia battered the nation, caused civil unrest and ultimately gave rise to the local communist movement known as the Khmer Rouge.

The reign of terror instituted by the Khmer Rouge lasted for half a decade and is well documented by the chilling accounts of those who survived its "killing fields." What followed were skirmishes between Vietnamese and Cambodian troops in the struggle to control Cambodia. This culminated in the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia in January 7, 1979. In 1981, the royalists led by King Norodom Sihanouk and the anti-communist resistance movement formed a coalition to oppose the Vietnamese-installed regime in Cambodia. Increasing pressure from the West, from China and Southeast Asia, brought the warring factions together with the formation of the Supreme National Council in 1990. In 1991, the Paris Agreement, signed by 17 nations and the Supreme National Council, called for a peaceful settlement of the Cambodian conflict and established the UNTAC (United Nations Transitional Authority), a body charged with the implementation of the Agreement and the supervision of free and fair elections.

In 1993, Prince Norodom Ranariddh of the royalist party, FUNCINPEC, and Hun Sen of The Communist People’s Party (CPP), stood for election. Although, the FUNCINPEC party won the elections, King Norodom Sihanouk named Ranariddh first Prime Minister and Hun Sen second Prime Minister in the interest of peace and reconciliation. Both men shared power in an uneasy alliance. Open political warfare ensued led by several factions that opposed both sides. In 1997, Hun Sen staged a military coup d’etat against the FUNCINPEC and removed Ranariddh from power.

The 1998 elections proceeded but both Ranariddh and opposition candidate Sam Rainsy contested the election results where Hun Sen’s party, the CPP, gained a plurality of votes. By November 1998, the FUNCINPEC and the CPP reached an agreement, whereby Ranariddh became President of the National Assembly and Hun Sen became the sole Prime Minister. Shortly thereafter, Cambodia was admitted to the ASEAN.

This long and tumultuous history has taken a great toll on the Cambodian nation and its people. The reign of the Khmer Rouge effectively decimated Cambodia’s working class, and those who survived lost hope in the prospects of their nation and chose to seek a better life in other lands. Although peace has returned to this war-ravaged land, the path to democracy and development is a long and arduous one. The long years of war left a crumbling infrastructure, a failing public health system and a rural populace who are just beginning to adapt to the rigors and challenges of urban life. One wonders how the Cambodians can shed the trauma of the Khmer Rouge years and look to the future. This was the question posed by Asia Society chairperson Doris Ho. To which the Prince replied, "The Cambodian people must decide on national priorities and that is the alleviation of poverty and human resources development." He stressed that "peace must be strengthened through national reconciliation and that Cambodians must learn to forgive even if they cannot forget."

The Prince began his speech by stating that the eighth ASEAN summit held in Phnom Penh last November 4-6, 2002, would not have taken place had Cambodia not achieved a measure of social and economic stability. In broad strokes, he explained his vision for long-term growth and development. The private sector and foreign investment are viewed as engines of growth. The Government, he said, "must provide the proper environment and act as a facilitator of the private sector and not the manager."

The National Assembly has proposed laws and initiatives to attract investments and facilitate their flow into the country. The creation of the Council for the Development of Cambodia or CDC will serve as a one-stop shop and investment organization for foreign direct investments. The National Assembly is in the process of streamlining this measure to reduce if not remove "some unnecessary, sophisticated formalities" says the Prince. The Investment Incentive Law enacted in 1994, provides for generous incentives in the areas of banking, finance, auditing and land management. This is currently under amendment by the National Assembly to enhance the competitiveness of such incentives. The biggest challenge for Cambodia is reducing poverty and closing the gap between the rich and the poor. At the heart of the pro-poor programs are micro-financing measures to support small businesses and cooperatives based on a "one-village-, one-product" approach. Another challenge is budgetary allocation as more resources are needed to support new industries and the health care system. The Prince ended his talk by inviting everyone to visit Cambodia, not just to see the temple-complex of Angkor Wat, but also to think of Cambodia as an investment venue where all economic sectors are open to investors.

If development is strengthened by democracy, how does democracy take root in a country like Cambodia with no democratic traditions? The Prince firmly believes that it is a mistake to implement a western model on Cambodia or any country in Asia, as each differs in circumstances and culture. But he stressed that "all societies must strive to be transparent and liberal." And that the "new culture of democracy should be defined by liberty and openness."

Listening to Prince Ranariddh one cannot help but admire the gentleness and humility in his speech and manner – qualities that are rare in public servants and political leaders today. Beneath the gentleness, one suspects, are nerves of steel. This is, after all, a man who has been twice imprisoned because of his agitation for reforms. There is optimism and resoluteness in his tone because there is no other way to address and confront the daunting task of rebuilding his war-torn nation. His cause, the Cambodian cause, deserves widespread international support and more importantly, support from the local populace. Cambodians are often characterized as a people who remain passive in the face of great crisis. But there are signs that this passiveness is slowly changing into collective action. A CNN report recently filed by correspondent Tom Mintier talks about a European Union program in Cambodia where citizens from all parts of the country are encouraged to lay down their arms, or in the case of arms merchants, turn in their cache of weapons for conversion to scrap material. In exchange, the European Union will provide livelihood and development projects that will bring much needed income to the ailing local economy. The initial response was favorable as people were captured on the screen piling their weapons into a heap to create a bonfire. It is encouraging to see that people who once knew war as a way of life now understand that peace must precede development.

We can only wish the Prince and his country much luck in carrying out his vision and reforms. We hope that his political will and that of his country’s leadership will endure and see his nation through. We hope that his great culture and his gentle people will triumph over their adversities and rise from the ashes of war to claim their place in the sun.