Cambodia Faces Risk of More Violent Popular Protests if Fair Elections Aren't Embraced

CAMBODIA FACES RISK OF MORE VIOLENT POPULAR PROTESTS IF FAIR ELECTIONS AREN'T EMBRACED

Cambodia's presidency of the Association of Southeast Asian nations in 2012 can't mask the fact that the country remains a serial violator of human rights which has little current prospect of carrying out meaningful local and national elections this year and next.

Presiding over an organization which accepts the Myanmar dictatorship as a member can do nothing to strengthen the legitimacy of Cambodia's Hun Sen government.

Even Myanmar, in the face of concerted international pressure, has taken some steps towards liberalization with the freeing of Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners. This shows that even the most recalcitrant regimes are responsive to the international community.

Cambodia, which has not come under the same kind of scrutiny from abroad as Myanmar, hasn't taken any such steps. The prospect of democracy remains distant.

The Hun Sen government in Cambodia clearly wants to be accepted by the world, and is also applying for non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council. The country must not be accepted by the international community until it meets minimal standards of democracy starting with acceptable elections. The electoral steps which Cambodia needs to take were detailed by European Union observers in 2008.*

Sam Rainsy, the leader of Cambodia's largest opposition party, remains in exile in Paris and faces prison on political charges if he returns home. In December he welcomed a call by United Nations human rights envoy Surya Subedi for reconciliation between his party and the ruling CPP in the interests of democracy. Subedi is expected to make specific recommendations on how to improve the country’s electoral system.

Refusal by the Hun Sen government to accept these recommendations would render the June 2012 municipal elections and the July 2013 national elections meaningless.

If there are no proper elections then the chances of violent rebellion as a result of government land theft and forced evictions will increase, threatening destabilization in the region.

Cambodian elections will remain a farce until the election system is thoroughly reformed and Sam Rainsy, the only serious challenger to Prime Minister Hun Sen, is allowed to return safely. Democracy is the only way to guarantee peaceful stability in Cambodia and southeast Asia.

SRP Members of Parliament


*See http://www.eueomcambodia.org/ for the European Union's recommendations.