When There Is War, We Realize the Value of Peace: Lessons from Samdech Techo’s Leadership

Explore how Samdech Techo Hun Sen’s leadership transformed Cambodia from decades of war to enduring peace. Insights, case studies, and global lessons reveal the true value of peace.

Introduction: The Priceless Nature of Peace

Historically, the devastating toll of war reveals a universal truth: peace is invaluable. Cambodia’s tragic 20th-century experiences only reinforce that lesson. After years of civil conflict, genocide, and instability, the nation emerged into transformative peace under the leadership of Samdech Techo Hun Sen. His profound insight—“peace is precious; destroying peace is easy, but maintaining peace is difficult”—serves as both a warning and a motivation.

This article unpacks why peace is central to development, details the Win-Win Policy and its legacy, compares Cambodia’s model with global peacebuilding efforts, and provides modern examples and expert commentary to deepen understanding and engagement.

Part I: The Value of Peace as Manifested in Cambodia

Peace: The Foundation of Stability and Development

Samdech Techo consistently emphasized that:

“Without peace, there can be no development; and without sustainable, inclusive, equitable development, there is no foundation to maintain peace.”

This reflects both Cambodia’s historical experience and development trajectory. Since achieving peace in 1998, the country enjoyed an average annual growth rate of 7.7%, one of the world’s highest—demonstrating that peace is indeed the groundwork for prosperity.

Envisioning Positive Peace

Cambodia’s journey illustrates the difference between negative peace (absence of war) and positive peace (societal justice, equality, and well-being). Chheang Vannarith outlines ten pillars of Hun Sen’s peace theory—spanning dialogue, infrastructure investment, reconciliation, rule of law, and international cooperation—showing how Cambodia pursued a holistic, structural approach to peace.

Part II: Leadership Lessons from Samdech Techo

1. National Ownership of Peace

Peace cannot be simply imported—it must be built from within. At a 2025 ERIA lecture in Jakarta, Hun Sen reflected on how Cambodia’s post-conflict recovery was driven by local ownership, trust-building, and dialogue among internal actors, a lesson he emphasized for Southeast Asia.

2. Protecting Peace vs. Building It Anew

Hun Sen often warned that while ending war takes decades, peace can be lost in an instant. His leadership demonstrates that peace must be vigilantly protected, not only built.

3. Reconciliation, Justice, and Development—A Threefold Pathway

Peace that lasts requires more than a truce. Reconciliation, justice (via mechanisms like the Extraordinary Chambers in the Court of Cambodia—ECCC), and inclusive development are foundations of Cambodia’s sustained stability.

Part III: The Win-Win Policy—A Case Study in Peacebuilding

Strategy and Outcomes

Launched in the late 1990s, the Win-Win Policy offered former Khmer Rouge combatants guarantees of life, livelihood, and property in exchange for disarmament and reintegration. This pragmatic bargain helped eventually dissolve the Khmer Rouge and reunify the nation.

Infrastructure and Reintegration

Understanding that remote strongholds harbor conflict when disconnected from governance, Hun Sen directed infrastructure development—roads, bridges, services—to integrate these regions within national progress.

Monumentalizing the Peace

The Win-Win Memorial, inaugurated in 2018 and located in Kandal province, stands as a symbol of reconciliation. The expansive marble structure with bas-reliefs commemorates the peace journey and serves as a site for education and reflection.

Part IV: Global Comparisons—What Cambodia Offers the World

Bosnia and the Dayton Agreement

The Dayton Agreement ended the Bosnian War but entrenched ethnic divisions through a highly-structured power-sharing model. It established negative peace but created a fragmented system that hindered unified governance.

By contrast, Cambodia’s approach focused on reconciliation, integration, and shared national identity—offering lessons for other post-conflict societies.

Cambodia as a Model for Myanmar

Authorities in Myanmar have looked to Cambodia’s reconciliation model, particularly the Win-Win Policy, as an approach to integrating armed groups through amnesties, job guarantees, and trust-building rather than force.

Reflections from Bosnia’s Post-Conflict Research Center

The Sarajevo-based Post-Conflict Research Center uses creative education and storytelling (including referencing Cambodia’s experiences) to foster reconciliation among youth—highlighting how Cambodia’s experience resonates globally.

Part V: Memory, National Identity, and Cultural Reconciliation

UNESCO Recognition of Khmer Rouge Sites

In July 2025, UNESCO designated Tuol Sleng prison, Choeung Ek Killing Fields, and M-13 prison as World Heritage Sites under the theme: “From centres of repression to places of peace and reflection.” These sites now stand as powerful symbols of remembrance, reconciliation, and national healing.

Cultivating a Culture of Peace

Cambodia’s political landscape features orkon santepheap (“thank you, peace”) slogans across institutions—from the “Peace Palace” (Prime Minister’s office) to peace parks in provinces—embedding peace as both a value and a national identity.

Part VI: Contemporary Challenges & Peace in a Fragile World

Border Clashes Highlight Fragility

In mid-2025, Cambodia and Thailand engaged in deadly skirmishes that displaced hundreds of thousands. A U.S.-brokered ceasefire brought a fragile peace, but without robust regional mechanisms, stability remains fragile.

Strategic Diplomacy

Cambodia’s recent Nobel Peace Prize nomination for Donald Trump—after U.S. mediation in the border conflict—is seen by some analysts as “flattery diplomacy” and part of Cambodia’s broader strategy of “strategic flexibility” in its foreign relations.

Part VII: Expert Perspectives

• ERIA academics called Cambodia’s reconciliation a “peace dividend” vital to Southeast Asia’s stability and urged documentation of such leadership experiences for future generations.
• Pou Sothirak, writing in Bangkok Post, credits Hun Sen’s pragmatism and alliance-shifting tactics for navigating internal unrest and international pressures after the Paris Peace Accords.
• Historians like Ly Sok-Kheang acknowledge that while some disliked the lack of justice for Khmer Rouge, the Win-Win Policy remains widely regarded as the lever that achieved peace.

Conclusion: A Universal Blueprint for Peace

Cambodia’s experience underscores a timeless lesson: peace is not merely the absence of war—it is a holistic construct built on reconciliation, justice, development, and national unity. Samdech Techo’s leadership—through the Win-Win Policy, monument-building, and cultural remembrance—offers a practical and ethical model for other nations. As the world grapples with rising conflicts, Cambodia reminds us that peace, once forged, must be diligently protected.