Dancing in Shadows: Sihanouk, the Khmer Rouge, and the United Nations in Cambodia (Asian Voices)

This fascinating book recounts the remarkable tale of a career UN official from Indonesia caught in the turmoil of international and domestic politics swirling around Cambodia during the tumultuous period after the fall of the Khmer Rouge. Writing from his experience first as a member of the UN transitional authority and then as a personal envoy to the UN secretary-general, Benny Widyono re-creates the fierce battles for power centering on King Norodom Sihanouk, the Khmer Rouge, and Prime Minister Hun Sen. A simultaneous insider and outsider, he also untangles the competing and conflicting agendas of the key international players, especially the United States, China, and Vietnam. He argues that great-power geopolitics throughout the Cold War and post–Cold War eras triggered and sustained a tragedy of enormous proportions in Cambodia for decades, ultimately leading to a flawed peace process. Widyono tells the inside story of the massive UN operation in Cambodia, the largest and most challenging in the organization's history to that time and long considered a model for UN operations elsewhere. He draws not only on his vantage point as part of the UN bureaucracy, but also as a local UN official in the rural Cambodian province of Siem Reap, the site of Angkor Wat. As a fellow Southeast Asian with no geopolitical axe to grind, Widyono was able to win the respect of Cambodians, including the once and future king, Norodom Sihanouk, whose decline after fifty years as his country's leading figure is vividly portrayed. Putting a human face on international operations, this book will be invaluable reading for anyone interested in Southeast Asia, the role of international peacekeeping, and the international response to genocide. This fascinating book recounts the remarkable tale of a career UN official from Indonesia caught in the turmoil of international and domestic politics swirling around Cambodia during the tumultuous period after the fall of the Khmer Rouge. Writing from his experience first as a member of the UN transitional authority and then as a personal envoy to the UN secretary-general, Benny Widyono re-creates the fierce battles for power centering on King Norodom Sihanouk, the Khmer Rouge, and Prime Minister Hun Sen. A simultaneous insider and outsider, he also untangles the competing and conflicting agendas of the key international players, especially the United States, China, and Vietnam. He argues that great-power geopolitics throughout the cold war and postDcold war eras triggered and sustained a tragedy of enormous proportions in Cambodia for decades, ultimately leading to a flawed peace process. Widyono tells the inside story of the massive UN operation in Cambodia, the largest and most challenging in the organization's history to that time and long considered a model for UN operations elsewhere. He draws not only on his vantage point as part of the UN bureaucracy, but also as a local UN official in the rural Cambodian province of Siem Reap, the site of Angkor Wat. As a fellow Southeast Asian with no geopolitical axe to grind, Widyono was able to win the respect of Cambodians, including the once and future king, Norodom Sihanouk, whose decline after fifty years as his country's leading figure is vividly portrayed. Putting a human face on international operations, this book will be invaluable reading for anyone interested in Southeast Asia, the role of international peacekeeping, and the international response to genocide. This fascinating book recounts the remarkable tale of a career UN official caught in the turmoil of international and domestic politics swirling around Cambodia after the fall of the Khmer Rouge. First as a member of the UN transitional authority and then as a personal envoy to the UN secretary general, Benny Widyono recreates the fierce battles for power centering on Sihanouk, the Khmer Rouge, and Hun Sen. He also sets the international context, arguing that great-power geopolitics throughout the cold war and post-cold war eras triggered and sustained a tragedy of enormous proportions in Cambodia for decades, leading to a flawed peace process and the decline of Sihanouk as a dominant political figure in Cambodia. Putting a human face on international operations, this book will be invaluable reading for anyone interested in Southeast Asia, the role of international peacekeeping, and the international response to genocide Dedication 6 Epigraph 7 Contents 8 List of Illustrations 10 Glossary of Abbreviations and Terms 12 Foreword • Ben Kiernan 18 Preface 28 Acknowledgments 32 Part I: The View from the Field, 1992-1993 34 1 When the World “Invaded” Cambodia 36 2 A Glimpse into the Past 56 3 The Intricate Dance of Governance 74 4 We Stared at Each Other and I Blinked 88 5 The Khmer Rouge Derail Demobilization 108 6 The Rocky Road to Elections 128 7 A Vote for Peace? 142 Part II: A UN Envoy in Phnom Penh, 1994-1997 168 8 Not Enough Actors for the Play 170 9 The King Reigns but Does Not Rule 184 10 A Mysterious Coup Attempt 204 11 Is There an Asian Model for Development? 222 12 A Puppet Prime Minister? 244 13 Toward a Climax 264 14 The Final Showdown 286 Epilogue 308 Chronology 322 Appendix 1: Deployment of UNTAC 330 Appendix 2: The Royal Government of Cambodia, November 1993 332 Bibliography 334 Index 344 About the Author 356 Pt. 1. The View From The Field, 1992-1993. When The World Invaded Cambodia ; A Glimpse Into The Past ; The Intricate Dance Of Governance ; We Stared At Each Other And I Blinked ; The Khmer Rouge Derail Demobilization ; The Rocky Road To Elections ; A Vote For Peace? -- Pt. 2. A Un Envoy In Phnom Penh, 1994-1997. Not Enough Actors For The Play ; The King Reigns But Does Not Rule ; A Mysterious Coup Attempt ; Is There An Asian Model For Development? ; A Puppet Prime Minister? ; Toward A Climax ; The Final Showdown. Benny Widyono. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 301-310) And Index.