Organizer: The Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the University of Michigan

Description:

This talk explores the Cambodian government’s approach to maintain peace and stability in Cambodia through an examination of the Cambodian National Aging Policy (NAP) 2017-2030. The NAP made an important case study as it is one of the forefront social welfare policies that the Cambodian government implemented along with the National Social Protection Policy Framework (NSPPF) 2016-2025 following a
contested election in 2013. The tracing of the country’s political development in the post-conflict period (1990-present) helps inform the analysis on the Cambodian government’s policy choice toward the vulnerable population such as the old age. The implementation of the NAP can be viewed as a positive step toward creating an inclusive society where no one is left behind. However, I argue that the NAP should be seen first as an apparatus development strategy to reaffirm the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) ruling legitimacy and popularity by proving the ability of an authoritarian ruler to care for the population. Using empirical data collected from my field research attest to my argument on how the Cambodian government incorporates aging policy as an instrument to strengthen its ruling power, thus, the stability of the regime. By critically assessing the aging policy’s implementing progress and impact outcomes, this study uncovers the differences between how this social welfare policy serves and benefits the Cambodian government and the aging population.

Speaker: Soksamphoas Im, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Center for Khmer Studies

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