Date: 18 October 2017

Questions: What is the difference between Imperialism and Colonisation? Brief information on
Cambodia
Summary:
- Imperialism is a concept, and colonisation is the action. So, colonisation is a type of
imperialism.
- In 1864, Cambodia became a French colony.
- France took over Vietnam and it affected Cambodia: Taxation, Policing, abolishing the
slavery system
- Until the world war II, Japan had colonized Cambodia and discharged the leader of
France.
Analysis and opinion: At first, I was genuinely confused as to how the two words differ, as
they are used interchangeably. It helped me to understand the meaning of the two words better.
The background information also helped me with seeing the big picture of Cambodias history.
References:
- Singh, A. (2017). Colonialism/Imperialism. Lehigh.edu. Retrieved 18 October 2017, from
http://www.lehigh.edu/~amsp/eng-11-globalization.htm
- Cambodia profile. (2017). BBC News. Retrieved 18 October 2017, from
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-13006828

Date: 10 November 2017

Questions: What are the cause and effects of Imperialism on Cambodia
Summary: In 1867, King Norodom signed a French protectorate over Cambodia. Under the
treaty, the monarchy was allowed to remain, but France was in charge of all the foreign and
trade relations, and military protection of Cambodia. There were both pros and cons of
imperialism. The positive effects can be divided into 3 categories, which are Political, Social,
and Economy. The political aspects of imperialism is that Cambodia, having been influenced by
France, is now a constitutional monarchy. It also influenced Cambodias law system seeing as it
is based off of the French Legal System. The social aspects of imperialism are about languages
and religion. Having been colonised by France, French is the second language of Cambodia
and the religions were expanded. Overall, the positive effects of imperialism are that the
economy grew because of crops, the education were improved, peoples health were better and
there are improvements of transportation and communication. On the other hands, there are
negative effects of imperialism in Cambodia. First, Cambodian people had less freedom and
had to follow Frances orders. Second, after the plantation system was introduced, it separated
the working class from the plantation owners creating a system similar to the feudal system in
Europe. Natives that were forced to work on plantations only crop rice, but they were not
allowed to have them at all. Lastly, there were abandonment of rebellions, and the cambodian
tradition were changed.
Analysis and opinion: There are both positive and negative effects of imperialism. In my
opinion, its more like a silver lining than pros. France had improved Cambodia in many ways,
but it came with a price that was freedom. France had exploited Cambodia, as much as they
improved it.
 - Cambodia profile. (2017). BBC News. Retrieved 10 November 2017, from
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-13006828

Date: 15 November 2017

Questions: What is the cause of poverty?
Summary: The social issues in Cambodia that we chose to focus on are poverty. All of the
issues are linked and attributed to each other. The first factor that attributes to poverty in
Cambodia is low education. Children in rural areas do not have access to education as their
parents cant afford school fees. Instead, most children start working outside for a living from a
very young age with no education which in turn creates a cycle passing on poverty from
generations to generations. The second factor that attributes to poverty in Cambodia is high
population growth. The population growth rate in Cambodia is much higher than those of the
developed countries. With higher population, the citizens will need more food and shelters
causing the government to spend more money on building a living place. They also lack skilled
workers due to low education and skill trainings because high population growth needs health
care service. The third factor that attributes to poverty in Cambodia is civil war. Due to this fact,
foreign investors is discouraged from doing business in Cambodia, in turn making Cambodia
has less economic growth and activities. A lot of people also died as a result of civil war,
children become orphans, and many people have their home and cities destroyed. Also, many
unexploded landmines are buried in many areas of Cambodia, making it very hard for people in
rural areas who depend on agriculture for a living to farm on the land, and other areas that
arent inhabited by landmines are mostly exploited and destroyed.
Analysis and opinion: From the research, I have noticed that all of the social issues in some
ways are related to each other. And if we can solve poverty, it can automatically help with low
education and civil war as poverty is the source of all problem.
References:
- Cause of Poverty in Cambodia - pac-cambodia.org. (2017). ammado. Retrieved 15
November 2017, from https://www.ammado.com/nonprofit/128766/articles/72904
- Poverty in Cambodia. (2017). cambodia24. Retrieved 15 November 2017, from
https://cambodia24.wordpress.com/2013/01/12/poverty-in-cambodia/

Date: 16 November 2017

Questions: What are your specific solutions/suggestions for the city/province - local level - in
solving the problem?
Summary: The first suggested solution is to lower the tuition fee so parents would be able to
send their children to school to study. Many children in Cambodia dont receive education
because their parents cant afford the cost, and often have to work from a very young age to
cover their living expenses. So, lowering the fee of education so that children can afford to go to
school can reduce poverty in the future because the children will grow up to be educated adults
in the next generation and have more chance at improving poverty and developing Cambodia.
The second solution is for the government to set up more facilities such as schools, health
centers, and hospitals in provinces. Seeing as people in some areas dont have access to basic
necessities such as those things. If children were to have better education, they would grow up
to be skilled workers such as nurse and lawyer, and consequently they would earn more money
than they do working in factories. The third solution is for the government to provide free
healthcare for poor people in rural areas. Many people in Cambodia cant afford the medical
expenses at the hospital as they barely have money to get by each day. With free healthcare,
people would not have to spend as much money on medical expenses and would not have to
set aside the money the minimum wages they earn from their jobs.

Analysis and opinion: All of the solution have one thing in common: money. Even though the
solutions seem to not be solving the problem from the root, they are more immediate than
solving at the government level. It would take more than one generation to eradicate poverty
completely, or we might never completely solve poverty at all.
References:
- Solution. (2017). Poverty in Cambodia. Retrieved 16 November 2017 from
https://povertyincambodia1.weebly.com/solution.html
- Zachau, U., & Pimenta, S. (2017). Helping to reduce poverty. Phnom Penh Post.
Retrieved 16 November 2017, from
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/opinion/helping-reduce-poverty
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