Steinmeier in Cambodia: Grassroots diplomacy on difficult terrain

Germany has hardly any connections to the authoritarian Cambodia. But at least since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Berlin has also been looking for new partners in Asia – even if this search is full of ambivalence.

33 degrees, humidity of more than 70 percent. You can tell from the first few meters that Cambodia is very different from Germany. This first visit of a German Federal President to the Southeast Asian country is a sweaty affair. No chancellor has ever officially visited here.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier rolls up his sleeves and puts on a metal-weighted blue protective vest. A helmet with a long visor is designed to protect his face. Because near Siem Reap in northern Cambodia, land mines and other dangerous relics from the days when the country descended into chaos and civil war still lie in the ground.

The long aftermath of the reign of terror

In the 1970s, the Khmer Rouge, who wanted to use violence to establish a communist agrarian state, had established a reign of terror. People were expelled, starved, forced to work, tortured, murdered. Estimates assume around two million dead – a fifth of the population. The genocide has overshadowed the country to this day.

In the notorious Tuol Sleng torture prison in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, Steinmeier and his wife are shocked to hear a survivor report on the brutality of the guards the next day. Many of his fellow inmates were murdered. And even after the end of the Khmer Rouge regime, there was no peace for a long time.

Germany helps financially

The landmines that still injure people today bear witness to this. Cambodia wants to be mine-free by 2025: an ambitious goal – and unlikely to be achieved, according to local officials. But it is a goal that inspires. Even with German funding, the palm-sized explosive devices are laboriously hauled out of the ground by hand. More than half of the deminers are women.

The famous Angkor Wat temple has also been restored for years with the help of German funds and experts. Germany has also been providing development aid for a long time.

Desire for new partnerships

Otherwise there are hardly any relevant economic or political connections to Cambodia. Instead, the country in Southeast Asia is closely linked to China, which invests a lot of money in Cambodia’s infrastructure. A joint special economic zone has been set up on the southwest coast. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen paid a visit to Beijing last week and repeated: “Who should Cambodia rely on if not on China?”

Federal President Steinmeier might have a suggestion. At least that’s how his journey can be understood. Basic diplomacy on difficult terrain – the turning point makes it necessary. One of the great insights of the past year, he repeatedly emphasizes, is “that one-sided dependencies are unhealthy.”

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a year ago shifted perspectives. The aim is to find new partnerships, especially in Southeast Asia – where there are alternatives to China in terms of production facilities, sales markets and security policy. Even if the search for these is full of ambivalence.

Changeable host

This is particularly evident in Cambodia. Hun Sen has ruled the country since 1985. Politically quite willing to change, he is now considered an authoritarian ruler who is trying to establish his own son as his successor with a view to the parliamentary elections in July.

Still, he surprised the international community in one way: although he is strongly aligned with China and maintained good relations with Moscow, Hun Sen has sided with Ukraine and clearly condemned Russia’s war of aggression.

Dire human rights situation

Opposition, human rights and freedom of the press, however, have a difficult time in Cambodia. In 2017, the largest opposition party was dissolved and leading party leaders were imprisoned. Kem Sokha, one of the party leaders at the time, is currently free again – but only at first glance: Kem Sohka is accused of alleged high treason, and the verdict against him is expected to come in March. He is currently not allowed to express himself politically, the court has forbidden it.

Germany, he says only cautiously in conversation, must help to strengthen democracy in the country again. The visit of the Federal President is important. He wants to set an example: after the prime minister at noon, Steinmeier meets Sokha at the German embassy. There he also speaks with representatives of civil society.

One of them is Chhan Sokunthea from the Cambodian Center for Independent Media. She hopes that the German President’s visit to Cambodia will make a difference. Recently, the situation for media workers has gotten worse and worse, she explains to the German journalist afterwards, visibly agitated and exhausted. Your organization ran the Voice of Democracy radio station until last week. He is considered independent and critical of the government – and has not been allowed to broadcast since Monday at the behest of the Prime Minister.

Affront or indifference?

One could see it as an affront by the Cambodian head of government towards the Federal President that this action, which is hostile to the freedom of the press, coincided with Steinmeier’s visit to Phnom Penh of all things. Or indifference – because Germany currently has little to say at this end of the world. In any case, Steinmeier is irritated and probably lets his host know that in a personal conversation.

“We mustn’t delude ourselves, we’re different,” he says afterwards when asked how worthwhile a partnership with such a state actually is – a change of era or not.

“But the differences shouldn’t stop us from examining to what extent there aren’t also common interests.” And he adds: “Of course, recognizing the difference also means that this country is still struggling to find its course.” The travel diplomacy of the Federal President in Cambodia remains a difficult balancing act, especially on this day.