Agricultural Land Right Resolution Process in Post-Pol Pot Rural Cambodia: A Case Study from the Eastern Tonle Sap Region

Abstract

This paper, based on long-term rural fieldwork in Cambodia, analyzes the post-Pol Pot agricultural land right resolution process in a community of the eastern Tonle Sap region. As is well known, Cambodia suffered extraordinary social upheaval during 1975-79, due the radical policy pursued by the Pol Pot regime for altering the society in existence. Specifically, as a part of a series of revolutionary attempts, the regime collectivized all the agricultural land and other producer materials in the country, and forced the people to work for its goals under harsh conditions. This paper firstly reviews the local people’s narratives on their agricultural activities before and during the Pol Pot era, and illustrates the changes brought by the rule of the Pol Pot regime. It then analyzes the land right resolution process after the Pol Pot era by using household data collected in the community in order to contribute toward the understanding of the reality of the post-Pol Pot Cambodian social reconstruction. Finally, it extracts the findings from this case analysis and points out the importance of conducting further analysis of the relationship between state rule and the local response in not only Cambodia but also other communities in the contemporary world.