‘A war of houses and a war of land’: Gentrification, post-politics and resistance in authoritarian Cambodia

Post-war property reforms in transitional Cambodia plunged the country into new conflict: a war of land. Under guise ‘beautification’, 11% capital’s residents have been displaced under two decades wave violent gentrification, enacted through forced eviction and dispossession. Mounting resistance shows signs taking effect, however, evincing turning point state–society relations. Here, government has trialled approach, moving from techniques expropriation towards conciliatory method, built on dialogue, consultation negotiation. Responding to calls for more work gentrification success fight stay put, this paper, I investigate these claims, bringing literatures post-politics bear evictions crisis Cambodia. Drawing testimony former media analysis, examine removal case study demolition Cambodia’s White Building (1963–2017). argue that recent shifts are not an abandonment state’s compulsion expropriation, exclusion expulsion but subtle modification its strategy: away naked coercion associated with own kleptocratic variant authoritarian neoliberalism post-political manufacture hollow consent.