Dylan Hendrickson

Cambodia's Security-Sector Reforms: Limits of a Downsizing Strategy

With reference to Cambodia’s recent experiences, this article examines the tension between liberalising economic reforms under an International Monetary Fund (???) and World Bank-led macroeconomic stabilisation and structural adjustment programme and broader security-related objectives. Cambodia’s security forces absorb close to 50% of public spending, of which the military receives the lion’s share. In a bid to reduce military expenditure rapidly, the ??? and World Bank adopted an aggressive military downsizing strategy in 1999. This was based on a combination of conditionalities and support for demobilisation. Demobilisation e?orts have floundered due to a lack of government commitment, poor management of the programme, and the failure of donors to provide promised funds. It is argued that the problem of high military expenditure is not a question of numbers per se, but is a symptom of serious governance problems within the security sector that the prevailing downsizing strategy does not address. In the absence of e?orts to strengthen military accountability, it is unlikely that donors’ desired outcomes of reduced military spending, increased social spending and political stability will be achieved quickly.