By Mean Veasna, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
23 June 2008
"If the rate of participation is low, that means democracy is down, because people do not care about voting to choose a good leader ... That's why they encourage people to go vote as much as possible" - Kek Galabru, Licadho PresidentIn his last speech ahead of an election campaign period that begins Thursday, Prime Minister Hun Sen urged Cambodians to vote, no matter their party preference.
Speaking at the opening of a development center in Pursat province, Hun Sen told voters a high rate of participation was good for democracy.
"Please go to vote all together, to express your opinion," Hun Sen said. "This is our right of expression. We must show our participation in the decision of choosing parties and leaders."
Hun Sen has said he will remain silent during the one-month campaign period, a traditional time of mass rallies and public marches by competing political parties. There are 11 parties slated to compete for parliamentary seats in this election.
More than 8.1 million Cambodians are registered to vote in the July 27 election, but the 2007 commune elections saw the lowest participation rate ever, less than 70 percent. The first national elections following the Paris Peace Accords, in 1993, saw a turnout greater than 90 percent.
"If the rate of participation is low, that means democracy is down, because people do not care about voting to choose a good leader," said Kek Galabru, president of the rights group Licadho. "That's why they encourage people to go vote as much as possible."
8 comments:
Until now, I am support Mr. Sam Rainsy for 15 years he is the only person can save Cambodia from Poverty, corruption, and from Vietnam and Thailand encroachment into Cambodia. About Hun Sen government (CPP) they only rob the country.
To all Khmer people please keep eye on CPP they are trying to steal the votes again.
If the rate of participation is low, that means democracy is down, because people do not care about voting to choose a good leader," said Kek Galabru, president of the rights group Licadho. "That's why they encourage people to go vote as much as possible."
Personally disagreed with the statement. Low turn out to vote is not meant that democracy is down and out the door.
One shall remember that voting is personal choice and personal rights whether or not one wish to exercise such rights to voice their concerns and make their voice heard.
4:30am YOU JUST WAKE UP FROM HELL?
BY THE WAY AH KWACH DON'T CHEAT AND STEAL!!!!
From my point of view, the more people vote is to promote democracy to the country.
I look at this matter from a perspective of game theory a political analysis approach. US foreign politics has always been dominated by the interests of realist politician, not only the current Bush administration. During the Vietnam war, it was very necessary for every country involved with or was close to the war, to be realist. US,USSR, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia were keen on their national interests. US was the number one realist and was determined to win the war, likewise Vietnam. China always kept herself in some distance watching the situation. Cambodia, at the initial stage of the VN war was the period of time when she was keen on protecting her sovereignty since she had just enjoyed her very young independence. Cambodian leaders were very young when its come to their experiences with world bloody politics during the cold war. In some year in 1960s in connection with their military operation in Northern Vietnam, some US fighters violated Chinese territory sovereignty. This was not unusual since US was was well known as a nation good at violating international treaty on borders and some other war related convention. China did nothing except kept their air forces alerted about this and observed closely the development of war in VN. Later US military personnels along with their fighter and marines were shot down and captured by Cambodian army. Now we saw big difference. China as an Asian superpower didn't openly show her reaction against US, but a weak nation like Cambodia. Why?, it showed that Cambodian leaders at that time didn't understand political game at all. I guess most people in charge of international affairs at that time had no political sciences background at all. They could have law degree, who always blindly relied on treaty on the paper as their absolute doctrine, while in reality, there was no way small country like Cambodia could compete with US whose hegemonic power dominated even former Empires like France, British, Germany, and even Japan after the victory in Word War II. We could imagine how US thought about Cambodia and King Sihanouk. Cambodia's geographical location was the key to US' victory over VN; it was also VN's military strategy to us Cambodia territory as their military base. Now US wanted Cambodia to open the door and allowed US army to use Cambodia for their operation against communist VN; Cambodia insist on her neutral policy. Unfortunately, our army was very weak, we could not prevent our country from the war, which eventually spilled over from VN. The tension between US and Cambodia increased, US determined itself to get rid of Sihanouk, and replaced him by those who were the yes-man to US. An explosion of a bomb targeted at Sihanouk missed its goal. This reinforced Sihanouk to turn his face toward China. We knew that at the beginning Sihanouk didn't like communists, but he had no choice since US had turn out to be his enemies. Only China could help him solving the problem. Now US got the right person they wanted. Who? Lon Non, along with his republican circles. Actually, these groups of people were among the stupidest politicians on earth. They were the puppets of US but claimed himself to be nationalists. When the country was under thread they staged coup's eta, destroying political stability, creating positive condition for the rise of Pol Pot. When they come to power the whole society collapse. The people suffered from hunger due to economic crisis, they decide to join the war against VN. Actually, it had nothing with Cambodian interest and benefit but the US's imperialist invasion in Indochina.
Sihanouk decide to allow VN to use Cambodia as their military base, not because he wanted so. It was China's purpose to support VN in fighting against US, so that China could prevent herself from direct involvement from the war. In realist view, they do not care who the person is. What come to their attention is only the consequence. If the consequence come in favor of their interest and their reason d'etat, the people is worth something for them. Sihanouk never like VN, this is for sure. But to oppose US interference in Cambodia politics and its invasion in Indochina, Sihanouk had to accept this obligation.This logic of realism helped to explained why China supported Khmer Rough in underground, while she sought for support from Sihanouk. China didn't care if this was paper or wood. As long as she could use it to burn the house and chase out the rat, it worked out. The ignorant persons were the republicans. These people had no goal other than to gain their personal benefits from corruptions. They gave green light to bomb Cambodia benefiting KR from enlargement of support from the peasants. Now who was nationalists, who not? Sihanouk oversaw the dililma faced by Cambodia in the situation where she sat in the battle filed between superpowers. He wanted Cambodia to be neutral in hope this would prevent Cambodia from the war. The problem was that Cambodia was not Switzerland. Prussia could not forced Switzerland because this German speaking country was politically, and domestically strong. Hitler wanted to unify all the countries whose people have German blood, while the Allies did not want to have more enemy, thus decided not to force Switzerland to join the war for fear of the opposite result. Our country was in the similar situation as Iceland had during the cold was. Iceland geographically surrounded by British' allies decided to be neutral. Nevertheless, when US join ed the war, and demanded that Iceland had to allow them to use its territory in order to strategically cut off the supply for USS troops, Iceland softened its policy. It was impossible for Iceland to reject the allies's demands when located in such strategic location. Well, Cambodia, a tiny country was surrounded by communists. even she did not want to accept, there was not way for Cambodia to get herself out of the problem. It could be a matter of time. It could be that Cambodia support communist temporarily and this this policy was limited to only the wartime. When the war was over, Sihanouk could thing that we could change the policy. All were just a matter of playing temporary game, which were mandatory for countries in such situation just to get themselves out of the problem. No matter what happen at particular point of time. Unfortunately, the crazy people called republicans seized the power, and everything collapsed and the problem worsen. It ended up with the rise of Pol Pot to power. Sihanouk cooperated with KR not because he was a Khmer Rouge, nor he like them. I was just a matter of the logic of 'if you are the enemy of my enemy we can work together, perhaps temporally'. This logic was not used only by Sihanouk, and Pol POT, but China, Vietname, Russia, and particularly US relied their political strategies on this logics.
From the very begging of the story now we see, who is the main course of Cambodia's suffering? It was first of all, cold war, and then Korean War, and the last one Vietnam war. But what was exactly the major cause of this sufferings? Cold war, the war between US,USSR, which result in the lost of lives of people in third world countries. Cold war as you all have heard it was the ideological confrontation between USA and USSR, or between capitalism and communism. However, this was just a rhetoric. In reality its was the competition between US and USSR in order to dominate and colonize the world. US had manage to colonize Western Europe, yet Asian would be th last frontiers of its colonial history. But this had nothing to do with our people in Asia, cold war was not our business but why we suffered alot, and US claim theself as the father of global democracy.
I want to shre this informatin with you just want to let you know that in this world politics there have been so many yay for the poerful nations to manipulate the fact and they would do whatever inorder to get waht they want. The same story repeat itself, form the world war to Iraq ware.
Nevertheless, Cambodia as a small country must learn about its past and be cunning enough to justify ourself to the flexibility of international politics in order to survive. If we really love our country there is no reason to fight with each other as we did in the past. This happened because were blinded by the ideological manipulation from foreign nations.
International politics is changing. We cannot go against US, but we also cannot turn our back towards China.
4:35 AM
You'd better learn to read the phrase and try to understand its meaning.
Down and Out ! ah Hun Sen, a third-year- elementary-school- educated Prime Minister with 29 years of holding power, is the Criminal against humanity in Cambodia and is a former Khmer Rouge soldier in Khmer Rouge Regime, from CPP (Communist Pro youn Party)
Post a Comment