Will unchecked urban development make Phnom Penh unliveable? (Le Monde diplomatique

In this month’s podcast, journalist and South East Asia specialist Christine Chaumeau discusses how the Cambodian capital has been transformed over the last 20 years, with a mushrooming of skyscrapers and private, gated developments, which she writes about in the October edition of the paper (‘Phnom Penh: rising skyline, disappearing lakes’).

Under outgoing prime minister Hun Sen, the country experienced rapid economic growth, but his exercise of power was ruthless, and opponents of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party were suppressed and silenced. With his son now in charge, who will be Phnom Penh’s – and Cambodia’s – winners and losers?