Cambodia had a year of political reform in 2014, and observers are skeptical about how much change it will bring. But it might be premature to dismiss Prime Minister Hun Sen’s reform efforts as cosmetic. The year began with a series of mass protests organized by the Cambodian National Rescue Party over alleged massive fraud surrounding the 2013 parliamentary election. The demonstrations evolved into cross-sector protests over land rights and wage increases. The government responded with an armed crackdown on a protest, causing four deaths and the subsequent suspension of freedom of assembly nationwide.