Cambodia Needs Help: Taiwan to the Rescue

Cambodia is about five times bigger than Taiwan. Taiwan is approximately 35,980 square kilometers, or 13,891 square miles, while Cambodia is approximately 181,035 square kilometers, or 69,898 square miles. Meanwhile, Taiwan is currently accommodating 23.5 million citizens. That is about 7.3 million less than Cambodia (Index). Furthermore, there are only 16,486,542 residents in Cambodia, yet, it's 36.9 percent more expensive than in Taiwan (Index). There is an underlying problem when a least developing country like Cambodia has a higher cost of living than a developed country like Taiwan. To explain further, if the entire region of Asia were viewed as a hierarchy structure or a feudalist system from the Middle Ages, Taiwan could probably rank as a Duke, whereas Cambodia would be a poor peasant girl. Laos would be a serf.

The reason Cambodia is so expensive is that Hun Sen, the Prime Minister, keeps embezzling Cambodia's money. Hun Sen is a corrupt, greedy dictator who lies to his citizens. Hun Sen is neglecting and starving the good people of Cambodia (Moore). He is constantly stealing any revenue generated from the economy. Furthermore, corruption has lasted for 33 years. As a result, Cambodia can't get another dime from the World Bank until Hun Sen pays them back for the millions he's kept for himself (Moore). It is not difficult to feel much sympathy for the people of Cambodia. The hunger and poverty, and suffering that remain unnoticed should be an embarrassment to its leaders. Unfortunately, it is not.

Nonetheless, Taiwan is Cambodia's polar opposite when comparing the two economies. Slow or stagnate economies such as Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos are the reason why not all slow-developing economies are from the least developing countries. This can be seen when analyzing.

Cambodia and Taiwan. Taiwan is impressive, period. Especially considering its tiny dimensions yet staggering income. Clearly, the dynamo, Taiwan tolerates no corruption. According to Global edge, the Index of economic freedom is 112.90. GDP will be 646.00 billion dollars by 2020. Taiwan, or the Republic of China, is successful because its government is a Constitutional Republic, Semi- Presidential, Unitary, and Capitalist State. Taiwan has five branches of government and is called "the most populous paper democracy in the world."(Index). Tsai Ing-wen became the female President or Chief of State on May 20, 2016. The Premier is Su Tseng-Chang, and he is the Head of Government.
Taiwan's economy is thriving because President Tsai Ing-wen enforces Cambodia's Anti- Corruption Law with international standards, the Criminal Code, and the Organic Statute for Anti-Corruption Administration. Former President Chen Shui-bian and his wife were convicted of corruption and money laundering. Chen and his wife are currently serving 18 and 19 years in prison and are responsible for a 5 million dollar fine.

Surprisingly, Taiwan has been ranked as the 17th richest country in the world by Global Finance Magazine (Index). In the Eastern Asian region, Taiwan is ranked the 3rd richest. Further on, when comparing Cambodia to Taiwan, they hardly share any similarities. They are both bordering the Gulf of Thailand, and they are both located in Southeastern Asia. Obviously, their climates are exactly the same; in addition, so is their land use for agricultural purposes. Moreover, besides a few environmental issues such as illegal logging and over-fishing, there is virtually nothing else these two countries share.

First of all, Cambodia is still a Monarch. The King of Cambodia is Norodom Sihamoni; he is 66 years old and has been reigning since 2004. Secondly, the King is inviolable as well as appointed the head of state for life. Although it is an appointed Monarch, the chosen heir must descend from the bloodline of King Ang Duong, King Norodom, or King Sisowath. Third, Cambodia gained independence in 1953; but only after the Vietnam War extended into the country (Doyle). Consequently, Pol Pot led the Khmer Rouge Regime on late April 30, 1975, killing 2 million Cambodians. As a result of the Vietnam War, many Cambodians are thankful because that's how the evil dictator Pol Pot was overthrown in December 1978.

References

1. The World Factbook: Cambodia (2018, February 1). Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cb.html
2. MEREDITH MOORE (2006) In Need of Aid: Cambodia's Corruption Troubles Harvard International Review, 28 (3), 7. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.db15.linccweb.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.42772630&site=eds-live
3. Hsieh, M., Tsai, S., Tsai, C., Hsu, Y., & Hsu, M. (2017). What Is the Addiction World Like? Understanding the Lived Experience of Individuals' Illicit Drug Addiction in Taiwan Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 53(1), 47–54 https://doi-org.db15.linccweb.org/10.1111/ppc.12136
4. (2019). Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition, 1-4 Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.db15.linccweb.org/login.aspx? direct=true&db=khh&AN=134497657&site=eds-live
5. GAN Business Anti-Corruption Portal (2019). Taiwan Corruption Report Retrieved from http://www.ganintegrity.com
6. Jennings, R. (2019). Why Taiwanese Are Parking Their Money in Cambodia, Once an Unlikely Go-To Country. Bloomberg Finance LP Retrieved from http://www.Forbes.com
7. Moore, M. (2006) In Need of Aid: Cambodia's Corruption Troubles Harvard International Review, 7.
8. The World Bank (2019). The World Bank in Cambodia IBRD:IDA. The Urban Water Supply Project, Phnom Penh Retrieved from http://www.globaledge.msu.edu.
9. Doyle, K. (2014). BBC News. Vietnam's Forgotten Cambodian War Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia.

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