The UN peacekeeping operations conducted in Cambodia has largely been thought of as a somewhat remarkable success, setting the standard for future peacekeeping operations around the globe. However, as time goes on and the effectiveness of the operation in regards to the negative effects it had on the local population is evaluated, a new story begins to emerge. In this chapter, the author argues that soldiers deployed on peacekeeping missions in Cambodia exploited women and acted violently towards local populations similarly to how soldiers deployed on more traditional military missions have operated throughout history. Coming into missions with certain negative attitudes towards women, sexual appropriateness and violence undermines any real sense of security in the receiving community, and leads one to question the “success” of those missions.
