Sophal Ear, one of the foremost Cambodian political economists, sat down with State of Play to discuss his theories on how foreign aid has weakened governance in Cambodia and how these lessons might apply to political developments taking place now.

A former refugee who worked for the World Bank and United Nations, Ear completed a PhD at the University of California, Berkeley, and put the magnifying glass to development in his book Aid Dependence in Cambodia: How Foreign Assistance Undermines Democracy.

Ear is highly critical of error-ridden foreign aid projects in Cambodia that have taken little account of local perspectives while treating the country like a testing ground.