Mr. Heng Sarith has well articulated on the concept of implementation and durable performance on foreign policy Cambodia has adhered to. His theoretical framework of Asian Century, Post-Conflict Cambodia, and Six-Point Principles for Cambodia to follow to enabling its grand approach of international relations is seen lacking concrete capacity to implement if we are looking at Cambodia domestic politics. First, Cambodia is still straying its choice in between China, US and Vietnam. An approaching unavoidable conflicts for their country interests in between these three countries regardless South China Sea, or Japanese’s island conflict with China, including other alliance strategy schemes, Cambodia must prepare itself well to face off with all these unpredictable phenomenon. Second, the preempted tools such as military and money to retain, neutralize or offend in case of incident happened, as foreign policy expert coined them, Cambodia is falling very short to develop this capacity. Third, it has been more than 30 years now that Cambodia political development is still governed by a single political party, the CPP. This prolonged political power of one party state is not productive to having smooth democratization at all. Without gaining genuine democracy in this country, Cambodia is a pawn of foreign policy, not a paw at all.
Like I ever said before, the internal strength is a must for Cambodia to sustain its above three pillars strategy. At the moment, I can criticize that, the concept of national reconciliation and unity that CPP and CNRP has already assembled at the assembly, is a grand political trick that Cambodian people have already been alerted. The statement to create the political power of “check and balance” is far away from reach and reality. Why? The military is not yet integrated into realistic neutral national arm-forces. Court and judicial system is not yet neutral or due course in accordance to the law. Public servants are still under armpit of the CPP. The hope to change and improve this embedded political culture rests on Cambodian people in general who can vote for change, civil society, capable CNRP law-makers, and modern CPP pragmatists. I would like to invite everyone to read in details on The Diplomat published on 11 September 2014
