Land rights as an engine of growth? An analysis of Cambodian land grabs in the context of development theory

Forceful evictionshavebecomeaseriousprobleminCambodiawithanincreasingnumberoffami- lies beingdeprivedoftheirland,homesandlivelihoodswithoutcompensation.Thisarticleanalyses Cambodian landrightsinthecontextofeconomicdevelopmenttheory.Itassesseswhetherincreas- ing economicinequalities,stemmingfromforcefulevictions,canbecategorizedasanimpedimentto Cambodian economicgrowth.TheCambodiancaseillustratesthatalackofgoodgovernancedueto corruption leadstotheunequaldistributionoflandwhich,inturn,causesinequitableeconomicdevel- opment. ThepaperconcludesthatCambodiaistrappedinaviciouscycleofinequality,whichisupheldby elites whobenefitfromevictionsandlandconcessionswhileevicteesbecometrappedinpoverty.Given that thepopulationisgrowingangrier,thearticlewarnsofpotentialforaviolentrevolutionthatcould have disastrousconsequencesfortheCambodiankingdom,acountrythatrecentlyemergedfromyears of civilconflictsandisstillintheprocessofrebuildingitssocialfabric.

Publication year:2014

Keywords:A1 Journal article

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