Archives
now browsing by author
U.S.-Cambodia Relations: Issues for the 113th Congress
Summary
The United States and the Kingdom of Cambodia have been expanding their once-limited ties for a number of years, although U.S. concerns about Cambodia’s human rights record still limit the scope of the bilateral relationship. The Obama Administration has taken steps to broaden engagement with Cambodia, partly in response to China’s growing diplomatic and economic influence in Cambodia and the Lower Mekong Delta region. U.S. interests in Cambodia include promoting development, trade and investment, regional security, civil society, democracy, and
human rights. U.S. military engagement with Cambodia has increased as well. These include naval port visits, military assistance, and joint exercises related to international peacekeeping, humanitarian activities, and maritime security. A key challenge for U.S. policy toward Cambodia lies in balancing efforts to engage the Kingdom on many fronts while promoting democracy and
human rights.During the past decade, the Kingdom has made fitful progress in some areas of U.S. concern, including the conduct of elections, the development of civil society, labor rights, bringing some Khmer Rouge leaders to justice, public health, and counterterrorism measures. However, during
the past several years, the political system has become less democratic and civil liberties have been curtailed. Although political opposition groups may gain parliamentary seats in the upcoming July 2013 national elections by forming a united front and tapping into voter discontent among urban and marginalized groups, Prime Minister Hun Sen’s continued hold on power seems assured.Over the past decade and a half, Hun Sen has bolstered his political strength through a combination of electoral victories, influence over the broadcast media and judiciary, legal and extra-legal political maneuvers, intimidation of opponents and critics, patronage, and economic
threats. Some observers believe that the fairness of the upcoming national elections has already been seriously weakened. Among the major concerns are the prohibition of opposition leader Sam Rainsy from running in the election, the expulsion of opposition lawmakers from the National
Assembly, inaccurate voter lists, and the alleged lack of neutrality of the National Election Commission.The United States provides significant foreign aid to Cambodia, one of the poorest countries in Asia, largely through non-governmental organizations. The Kingdom received $76 million in U.S. assistance in FY2012. Program areas include public health, agricultural development,
environmental preservation, military training, maritime security, elections, civil society, and removal of explosive remnants of war. The United States is the largest foreign market for Cambodian goods, buying about half of the Kingdom’s garment exports.China has been a principal source of loans, infrastructure development, investment, and foreign aid to the Kingdom. Some experts maintain that Chinese assistance has significantly reduced the effectiveness of traditional aid donors in attempting to pressure Phnom Penh to make advances in the areas of rule of law, democracy, and human rights. Some groups have expressed concerns
about the adverse effects of China’s development projects on the local environment. Other observers also contend that Beijing has influenced Cambodian foreign policy. During its
chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2012, Cambodia was seen as acceding to Beijing’s desire to block attempts to raise the issue of maritime security in regional fora, to the consternation of the United States and other ASEAN nations.
Read the whole report: US-Cambodia Relations_Issues for the 113th Congress
Posted in Leadership, Politics, Social | Comments Off on U.S.-Cambodia Relations: Issues for the 113th Congress
សូមចូលរួមបោះឆ្នោត Please Vote
អ្នកអាចស្វែងយល់ពីគោលនយោបាយ ប្រវតិ្តមេដឹកនាំ និងប្រវត្តិគណបក្សធំៗទាំងពីនេះតាមគេហទំព័រខាងក្រោម។
You can learn about the policy, background of their key leaders and history of these two large parties through the links below.
Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP)
Cambodian People’s Party (CPP)
Note: The list name is alphabetically posted (a to z)
Posted in Leadership, Politics, Social | Comments Off on សូមចូលរួមបោះឆ្នោត Please Vote
Tags: Cambodia election, Election Watch, Vote Together
CAMBODIA: Understanding nation building
AHRC-ETC-025-2013
July 2, 2013
They may look simple, but each stage requires considerable knowledge and understanding, and all five stages are interrelated and provide a formidable vision of nation-building.
1. Identity: People must think of themselves first and foremost as citizens of the nation; original identification with a tribe, region, or subnational group must cease.
2. Legitimacy: A government becomes legitimate and its rule becomes rightful when its citizens respect it, obey its laws and commands, and keep it in power.
3. Penetration: A government must reach out to all people everywhere on the land andget them to follow and obey its laws and commands.
4. Participation: People need to participate, or have a say, in the affairs of the state and intheir government.
5. Distribution: Who gets what, when, how.
Posted in Culture, Leadership, Politics, Social | Comments Off on CAMBODIA: Understanding nation building
Tags: A.Peang-Meth
Election Watch by Sophoan: Bias of the media in Cambodia
In conclusion, the media plays vital role to receive free and fair election. The share of time and footage must be equal. The reporters must be in the sate of professionalism and independence. But in Cambodia, the independent reporters have been considered non-existence. Only few foreign media affiliates who are independent but still under fear of reprisal of their news if it is critical to the government or powerful entities. The NEC has no ability to resort independent media at all as this body is likely created by the controller of the media.
Democracy couldn’t be mushroomed if the media is not a mean for people to weigh their decision making and social participation.
It is a trustworthy and popular word saying that Cambodia under the leadership of Prime Minister Hun Sen, the media in this country is not neutral and independent. On his term of every full five years, major media including TVs, Radio channels and printing media, have been drumming loudly to support the ruling party. Those reporters must avoid as much as possible to report news critical to the government. Particularly, TV channels of both government-owned TVK and other several private channels have aired every word of Hun Sen’s speech from the beginning to the end without interrupting by ads sport during all events of his speech and participation.
However, during the election campaign, I do hope those traditional practices would be changed and National Election Committee (NEC) can monitor all media not to be biased. Hence, my thought has been changed after watching two video clips available online on the first day of election campaign on 27 June 2013.
First clip is from Cambodia Television Network (CTN) which is a private channel and it is popularly viewed by major Cambodians. The commentator from the main office in Phnom Penh coordinates to different reporters from different locations entire Cambodia. Those local reporters are likely at the same mindset in their reporting that there are only large rally from the CPP, and they don’t see other party organized a rally during their reporting time. The news anchor repeated that it is true that only CPP that has much ability for the campaign; they have a lot of supporters and volunteers. Once, the anchor tried to balance his news by saying that it is normal for the government to have more accessibility and organizing ability more than other parties as same as in Germany and many other countries (sic). Thus, the footage broadcasted the rally of CPP more than other party especially the key rival of this party: CNRP.
The second clip is from TVK, the only one channel considered free media owned by the government using the people’s money (tax collection), but previous times before the national election campaign, this channel has never allowed opposition parties to air their voice at all. Their first news footage on the first day of Election Campaign, the rally footage repeatedly displayed the ruling party (CPP), not the opponent party (CNRP). The volume of footage released to the public for people view is not in the equal sharing level at all.
In conclusion, the media plays vital role to receive free and fair election. The share of time and footage must be equal. The reporters must be in the sate of professionalism and independence. But in Cambodia, the independent reporters have been considered non-existed. Only few foreign media affiliates who are independent but still under fear of reprisal of their news if it is critical to the government or powerful entities. The NEC has no ability to resort independent media at all as this body is likely created by the controller of the media.
Democracy couldn’t be mushroomed if the media is not a mean for people to weigh their decision making and social participation.
Posted in Leadership, Politics, Social | Comments Off on Election Watch by Sophoan: Bias of the media in Cambodia
Tags: Cambodia election, Election Watch, Policy Watch