Land rights as an engine of growth ? An analysis of Cambodian land grabs in the context of development theory

Forceful evictions have become a serious problem in Cambodia with an increasing number of fami-lies being deprived of their land, homes and livelihoods without compensation. This article analysesCambodian land rights in the context of economic development theory. It assesses whether increas-ing economic inequalities, stemming from forceful evictions, can be categorized as an impediment toCambodian economic growth. The Cambodian case illustrates that a lack of good governance due tocorruption leads to the unequal distribution of land which, in turn, causes inequitable economic devel-opment. The paper concludes that Cambodia is trapped in a vicious cycle of inequality, which is upheld byelites who benefit from evictions and land concessions while evictees become trapped in poverty. Giventhat the population is growing angrier, the article warns of potential for a violent revolution that couldhave disastrous consequences for the Cambodian kingdom, a country that recently emerged from yearsof civil conflicts and is still in the process of rebuilding its social fabric.