Surviving the Global Financial and Economic Downturn : The Cambodia Experience

The global financial and economic shock of 2007–09 is the third major economic crisis to have buffeted Cambodia in its post-conflict period, coming in the wake of the food crisis of 2007–08 and just a decade after the Asian financial crisis of 1997–98 (the “triple crises”). Cambodia’s post-conflict history can be divided into two periods: 1991–98, referred to as the early phase of transition during which the first of the triple crises, the Asian financial crisis, occurred; and 1998 to the present, the late phase of transition during which the food and economic shocks transpired. A stocktake of the developments in Cambodia’s post-conflict history suggests that the country has come a long way in reinstituting the foundations of a capitalist economic and procedural democracy but has yet to make significant headway in economic sophistication and substantive democracy. The triple crises were different, yet had similar characteristics. They were all exogenously-driven shocks with their own specific causes but their effects were shaped by the country’s situation at the time. In terms of magnitude of impact, the global financial and economic downturn was the worst of the three crises. That it caused the first ever growth contraction in the post-conflict period was sufficient rationale for the series of studies that substantiate this book. Like the two shocks that preceded it however, the way it impacted on Cambodia cannot be understood in isolation from the overall post-conflict milieu. The thesis here is not that endogenous factors caused the crisis. It is simply that endogenous factors shaped the impact of the crisis and a historical, as opposed to a static, analysis better illuminates the nature of the impact. This book is an in-depth comprehensive examination of the impact of the global financial and economic crisis on Cambodia. It probes into the effects of the shock at macro, sectoral and micro levels using qualitative and quantitative techniques.

From China to Facebookistan, the Internet has transformed global commerce. A cyber-law expert argues that we must free Internet trade while simultaneously protecting consumers.

On the ancient Silk Road, treasure-laden caravans made their arduous way through deserts and mountain passes, establishing trade between Asia and the civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean. Today’s electronic Silk Roads ferry information across continents, enabling individuals and corporations anywhere to provide or receive services without obtaining a visa. But the legal infrastructure for such trade is yet rudimentary and uncertain. If an event in cyberspace occurs at once everywhere and nowhere, what law applies? How can consumers be protected when engaging with companies across the world?

In this accessible book, cyber-law expert Anupam Chander provides the first thorough discussion of the law that relates to global Internet commerce. Addressing up-to-the-minute examples, such as Google’s struggles with China, the Pirate Bay’s skirmishes with Hollywood, and the outsourcing of services to India, the author insightfully analyzes the difficulties of regulating Internet trade. Chander then lays out a framework for future policies, showing how countries can dismantle barriers while still protecting consumer interests.

Triple crises in post-conflict milieu / Hossein Jalilian and Glenda Reyes Losing steam, crisis impact at the macro and sectoral levels / Hossein Jalilian and Glenda Reyes The human face of the crisis, key findings of vulnerable worker and rural household surveys / Tong Kimsum, Saing Chan Hang, and Hem Socheth The human face of the crisis, key findings of focus group discussions with vulnerable workers and households / Kem Sothron, Theng Vuthy, and So Sovannarith The food and economic crises, impact on food security and agriculture in Cambodia / Hossein Jalilian, Glenda Reyes, and Lun Pide Road to recovery, responses, risks, and opportunities / Hossein Jalilian and Glenda Reyes. CONTENTS List of Figures List of Tables List of Acronyms and Abbreviations Foreword Acknowledgements List of Authors 1. Triple Crises in Post-conflict Milieu 2. Losing Steam 3. The Human Face of the Crisis 4. The Human Face of the Crisis 5. The Food and Economic Crises 6. Road to Recovery Index