Abandoned People: An Epidemiological and Demographic Profile of Demobilized Cambodian Soldiers

• Published in: Japanese Journal of Southeast Asian Studies Vol. 42; no. 3; pp. 328 - 353
• Main Author: Azuma, Yoshifumi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University 31.12.2004
• Subjects: Cambodia; DDR (Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration); demographic conditions; health conditions; military reform
• ISSN: 0563-8682; 2424-1377
• DOI: 10.20495/tak.42.3_328

In many respects, Cambodia's Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) program is unique in terms of complexity as well as the difficulties involved in project implementation. This study attempts to articulate the extent to which structural background determines the fate of demobilized combatants. It examines the General Health Assessment (GHA) of 15,000 combatants carried out by the International Organization of Migration (IOM) in 2001–02, as well as the 1998 Cambodian Population Census. Other Cambodian epidemiological data, although very limited in terms of number of studies, are also used as a comparison to the GHA data.  The DDR program is a most urgent political priority for Cambodian national development as well as the reform of national accounts. One legacy of more than twenty years of civil war is the bloated military sector that consumes a disproportionate share of a very limited budget. Thus, rapid demobilization is needed to control the budget, and the reintegration of combatants (through vocational training, etc.) is crucial to increase GDP. However, the empirical data show that most demobilized combatants are chronically ill, commonly suffering multiple illnesses. Disability, impairment, and psychiatric illnesses are also evident. Furthermore, lack of an appropriate medical referral system has directly resulted in the development of further vulnerability, especially among elderly combatants. Hence, urgent measures are necessary to coordinate the social safety net and, with donor support, regulate the referral system.