The Politics of Gifts: Tradition and Regimentation in Contemporary Cambodia

Abstract

This paper seeks to elucidate the symbolic and coercive dimensions of gift-giving in contemporary Cambodia. It is argued that gift-giving is enacted in such a way as to make self-conscious references to aspects of Cambodian ‘tradition’, but that these references are less important, in compelling assent, than the overt sense of threat that accompanies the donation of gifts. It is argued that the hitching of traditions of giving to mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion is widely rejected as lacking in any kind of cultural legitimacy, but that there are few opportunities available for the poor to make such rejection explicit. In this circumstance, acceptance of practices of regimentation as ‘traditional’ represents a strategy of surrender, rather than a culturally induced response.

Citizenship and Democratization in Southeast Asia

“…Previous scholarly works, recognizing the centrality of provision for relations between populations and public authority in many national contexts in the Global South, has typically treated citizenship and clientship as necessary oppositeseither seeking to positively re-evaluate the pursuit of exceptional entitlements in a gift-giving economy (Chatterjee , 2011Walker 2008, or finding clientship to be rejected outright by populations aspiring for full citizenship rights (for example, Hughes (2006) charges that contemporary gift-giving practices lack any kind of cultural legitimacy in Cambodia). However, ongoing change in Cambodia challenges such a clear-cut distinction.…”

“…In cpp discourse and practice, social and economic development is presented in the form of gift-giving rather than in terms of state accountability associated with taxation. These gift-giving practices have inserted patronage logics into post-reform Cambodia's democratic system in complex ways (Hughes 2006), with much service provision taking place through twilight institutions. cpp working groups (krom kar ngear) are in charge of distributing donations from the party to rural communities, what is known as the choh moulothan ('going down to the base') strategy.…”

“…This was not solely a historical legacy easily appropriated by the cpp (cf. Frings 1995;Hughes 2006), but was also made a cornerstone of the post-1993 reinvention of royalist democracy. Under the label of 'the social opening' , identified by long-term funcinpec leader Prince Norodom Ranariddh as a doctrinal basis of 'Cambodian democracy' during the Sangkum, royal provision for and protection of the population remained central to Ranariddh's vision of what democracy must mean in the koc (Norodom 1998:133).…”

Political Economy and the Aid Industry in Asia

“…Not only did they make political leaders and well-connected Cambodian tycoons enormously wealthy but they also provided slush funds to pay for extravagant election campaigns. The Cambodian People's Party sponsored rural development projects across the country and voters were lined up, village by village, and given personal gifts in return for their loyalty at forthcoming polls (Hughes, 2003(Hughes, , 2006.…”

Discourses of Hybrid Democracy: The Case of Cambodia

“…Hybridity then emerges in contextually rooted processes of wrenching meaning, in particular to make 'liberal democracy' fit local notions of decision-making. New democratic truths have been created when traditional strands of Khmer traditions makes social networks, personal loyalties, discourses of merits and authority, entangled in contemporary practices of gift-giving and material benefits, are the principal reasons for many Cambodians to support a political party (Hughes, 2006). However, not only do traditional village structures inform the 'democracy', but the socialist legacy also influences the new system of rule.…”