How

safe

and f

ree a

re

people

as

indiv

iduals

?Seminar on

CKS Public Lecture Series

Human Security in Cambodia: Far From Over

Pou Sovachana23 July 2015

Outl

ine

1. What is Human Security?

2. Different definitions of

Human Security3. Human security goals4. Human security in practice

5. Human security and other

concepts6. Human security in

Cambodia and its challenges

What

is H

um

an S

ecu

rity

?

The inte

rest

of

the s

tate

vers

us

inte

rest

of

the p

eople

Traditional Security vs. Human Security

1. Traditional Security: State-centered Security

- “…protection of the territorial integrity, stability, and vital

interests of states through the use of political, legal, or military

instruments at the state or international level” (King and Murray

2001).- “…the safeguarding of territorial integrity and national

interdependence from any external threat” (UN 1945)

2. Human Security: People-centered or people oriented

Security- Concerns the individual and the community rather than the

state- Broader understanding of threats in seven areas including

economic, environmental, personal, and political threats, and

those involving food, health, and community

- Context-specific and prevention-oriented

- The range of actors that participate in the provision of security

is wider.

Diff

ere

nt

Definit

ions

of

Hum

an

Secu

rity

use

d b

y In

tern

ati

onal

Org

aniz

ati

ons

and

Gove

rnm

ents

1. UN “safety from such chronic threats as hunger, disease and

repression” and “protection from sudden and hurtful

disruptions in the patterns of daily life-where in homes, in

jobs or in communities” (UNDP 1994)

“to protect the vital core of all human lives in ways that

enhance human freedoms and human fulfillment” (UN

Commission on Human Security 2003)

2. Japan: Freedom from want (broad approach:

human basic needs, equal access to education and

health care,…)“Human Security may be defined as the preservation and

protection of the life and dignity of individual human

beings”…“human security can be ensured only when the

individual is confident of a life free of fear and free of

want” (Takasu 2000)3. Canada: Freedom from fear (narrow approach:

protection of the civilians, conflict prevention,

public safety)“Human security means freedom from pervasive threats

to people’s rights, safety or lives”(Canadian Foreign

Ministry)

Hum

an se

curit

y go

als a

nd

the

need

for p

rioriti

zatio

n Freedom from fear

Freedom from want

Freedom to live in dignity

Violence

Humiliation

Poverty

Disasters Pandemics

Three Freedoms are correlated. Public safety is prerequisite, and the other two come simultaneously.

Freedom to live in dignity is very important.

Hum

an se

curit

y in

pra

ctice

Operational principles:Combines protection from above and empowerment from below. Both components are interlinked and need to be satisfied.

Provision of security by multiple actors, specially the State (Protection)

Actions enabling people to cope with risks themselves (Empowerment)

Hum

an se

curit

y an

d ot

her c

once

pts

• Human security and state security are mutually

reinforcing and dependent on each other.• Non-traditional security: human security

includes both cross border and local issues• Peace: human security joins the main agenda

items of peace, • security and development; supports a broader,

needs-based model for peace building • Development: focuses on downside risks with

stability • Human rights: bottom-up assessment and

prioritization of rights, in spite of rights’ generation.

Hum

an s

ecu

rity

in C

am

bodia

and it

s ch

alle

nges:

what

we’v

e

ach

ieve

d a

nd s

hort

com

ings After the 1998 election violence, the

Cambodians have become more secure

than ever before if their security is

assessed in terms of freedom from fear

aside the Thai Border conflict (since June

2008 ). There is little chance of civil war

or revolution. However, Cambodians

remain insecure. Dire poverty caused by

economic factors continued undiminished

due to the weakness of formal

institutional capacity for human protection

and empowerment.

Curr

ent

Sta

tus

of

Cam

bodia

n

Mill

enniu

m D

eve

lopm

ent

Goals

(2010 D

ata

)

What

we w

ant?

Freedom from hunger,

disease, persecution and

repression along with the

creation of a better life for

our children.

Why

worr

y?

We’r

e d

oin

g w

ell

eco

nom

ically

GDP growth in 2012: 7.2%.

2013 and 2014 were about

the same. Surely the good

times are near. Humanitarian assistance is a

short term goal but people

empowerment is more

desirable in the long term to

achieve lasting growth.

We h

ave

Angko

r W

at

Tourism is a national

treasure that can lead us to

the eradication of poverty.

We a

re s

till

an L

DC

and c

orr

upt

too?

Despite growth and development, poverty persists

and we are considered a third

world country by the World

Bank and the UN. For years,

Transparency International has

placed Cambodia as one of the

most corrupted nations in the

world. In 2013 and 2014,

Cambodia was ranked 160 and

156 out 175 respectively as

the most corrupted countries.

What

about

hum

an

secu

rity

?

We have to accept that the system is

not working. Without addressing

fundamental governance issues,

progress will remain challenging.

Cambodia needs an end to corruption

and the culture of impunity. It needs

to provide better health care,

hospitals and schools. It needs to

empower its citizens with human

rights and freedom of expression. It

needs to hold all politicians

accountable for human insecurity. It

needs meaningful development that

will benefit the masses instead of the

few.

Who c

are

s?R

ais

ing t

he b

ar

Everyone says they care. Most

of us are grateful that we

survived through the killing field

and this era is better than the

past. This is the baseline for the

unfortunate Khmer people who

never seen what other options

available for them.

What

is t

he c

ost

?According to data from rights group

Licadho, local and foreign firms now

control 3.9 million hectares of land

concession, or more than 22 percent

of Cambodia’s total surface. The

land grabbing issue is the latest

example of the state struggling to

meet the needs of its citizens, needs

as basic as providing clean water,

decent housing, health care, social

justice and education.

Land Iss

ues

What

to d

o?

- 2000-2014: 777,000 people have

adversely affected by land grabs in

Cambodia

What

to d

o?

Nearly 150,000 forcibly transferred from the capital

Land is

sues

by

the n

um

ber - 2000-2014: 777,000

people have adversely

affected by land grabs in Cambodia- Nearly 150,000 forcibly

transferred from the capital

What

to d

o?

The Government has to its

credit set the groundwork for

reform, but the solutions…

people want freedom from fear,

freedom from want, and

freedom to live in dignity.

Reforms should be designed to

improve the living standards of

the marginalized.

Thank

You!