By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Takeo Province
01 June 2008
Illiteracy, poverty, gifts, pressure—and achievement—were all reasons voters in one region of Takeo province, near the Vietnamese border, say they cast ballots for the ruling party.
The voters said they’ve recently gathered to receive gifts from the ruling Cambodian People’s Party in exchange for their votes and were expecting more in coming weeks.
Loey Lay, 55, who has never gone to school, said she had been given a sarong recently, and would fulfill her promise of voting CPP.
“I do not know how to consider, just vote for those who give me the gift,” she said, flanked by her four children and a cow in a field. “I don’t know; I’m illiterate.”
Chan Na, 29, said he had no education, and worried about basics like medication for his children in Chambok Tim village, where he works as a laborer. He was disappointed that his neighbors had received gifts but he hadn’t.
“For those who give me a gift, I’ll vote for, but if they don’t give to me, I’m not going to vote for anyone,” he said.
Many Cambodians face poverty like that found in this outlying area. At least 34 percent of the country is surviving on less than $0.45 per day.
Hun Heng, 57, said he’d received sarongs, a krama, fish sauce and a radio in the past, but he also voted for CPP achievements, including a road and canal in his area. “I will vote for the same party and not change to another fish,” he said.
About 3,000 people of 5,000 in Kiri Chong Koh commune are registered to vote, and the independent Committee for Free and Fair Elections said there have been no serious violations of the election law registered here.
Prak Sarun, of Comfrel’s Takeo office, said people here understand their political rights.
“People take gifts because they are poor and need it, and also to maintain their secrecy,” he said. They may claim allegiance to one party, but vote another.
Kiri Chong Koh chief Prum Chon said gifts were given to everyone, despite their party affiliation. Elections here going “smoothly,” he said.
However, Comfrel has reported minor irregularities in nearby communes and districts, such as the knocking down of party signs.
So Phear, 30, with three living children and two dead in Chhroy Sleng village, said his poverty means he’ll vote for anyone who can make his life better.
“Please help me,” he said. “If I vote for them, and I’m still poor, how can I have a feeling to vote?”
The voters said they’ve recently gathered to receive gifts from the ruling Cambodian People’s Party in exchange for their votes and were expecting more in coming weeks.
Loey Lay, 55, who has never gone to school, said she had been given a sarong recently, and would fulfill her promise of voting CPP.
“I do not know how to consider, just vote for those who give me the gift,” she said, flanked by her four children and a cow in a field. “I don’t know; I’m illiterate.”
Chan Na, 29, said he had no education, and worried about basics like medication for his children in Chambok Tim village, where he works as a laborer. He was disappointed that his neighbors had received gifts but he hadn’t.
“For those who give me a gift, I’ll vote for, but if they don’t give to me, I’m not going to vote for anyone,” he said.
Many Cambodians face poverty like that found in this outlying area. At least 34 percent of the country is surviving on less than $0.45 per day.
Hun Heng, 57, said he’d received sarongs, a krama, fish sauce and a radio in the past, but he also voted for CPP achievements, including a road and canal in his area. “I will vote for the same party and not change to another fish,” he said.
About 3,000 people of 5,000 in Kiri Chong Koh commune are registered to vote, and the independent Committee for Free and Fair Elections said there have been no serious violations of the election law registered here.
Prak Sarun, of Comfrel’s Takeo office, said people here understand their political rights.
“People take gifts because they are poor and need it, and also to maintain their secrecy,” he said. They may claim allegiance to one party, but vote another.
Kiri Chong Koh chief Prum Chon said gifts were given to everyone, despite their party affiliation. Elections here going “smoothly,” he said.
However, Comfrel has reported minor irregularities in nearby communes and districts, such as the knocking down of party signs.
So Phear, 30, with three living children and two dead in Chhroy Sleng village, said his poverty means he’ll vote for anyone who can make his life better.
“Please help me,” he said. “If I vote for them, and I’m still poor, how can I have a feeling to vote?”
Why Sarong? Always sarongs. People haven't enough sarongs to use? Sarong is also imported. Should buy and promote local products.
ReplyDeleteIf i were poor,i wll take sarong and other stuffs from anyone ,but i still vote for my conscience.
ReplyDeleteTo all my ah khmer yuon compatriots !
ReplyDeletePlease call home wherever you are and urge or remind your relatives to vote for SRP for a change.Three decades of CPP is enough.
Not when overwhelming Khmer are still literally dumb. So no change, let them stay in misery if they choose to do so.
ReplyDeleteGood on them.
It is not dumb not to want Cambodia to become Zimbabwe.
ReplyDeleteAt any rate, it is Ah Spam Rainxy who buy votes with t-shirts, caps, gifts, and noodles. The CPP only give out sarong, mosquito net, and rice to people as their duty to help the poor people; that is all; it is not to buy votes. puyry
Through CORRUPTION, which is CPP culture, CPP officials has STOLEN Cambodian PEOPLE, making them poorer and poorer.
ReplyDeleteAnd then before each election, CPP officials pretend to be charitable and distribute to PEOPLE gifts with money stolen from the PEOPLE.
Do you remember this COMMUNIST Slogan: "Of the people, By the people and For the people".
It's like cutting the Tail from a dog and give Tt to the same dog to eat: "Of the dog , by the dog and for the dog".
The CPP consider people like hungry dogs.
It is CPP's politic strategy 3 Ks: Khlach, Khlean and Khlao (Fear, Hunger and Ignorance) like Sam Rainsy mentions in his book.
ReplyDeletePolicy is not my stuff!
Every politician is hypocrite and selfish!
However, everything written by SR in his book reflects the real Khmer society.
This book is recommended to read if you want to understand more clearer about politic situation in Cambodia, then you are the reader judge it by yourself.
Khmer française
My dear KHMER people one SARONG ,HUN SEN use to buy you ,OH my BUDHA .
ReplyDeletelabong HUN SEN you look down at our people too much , YOU THINK our KHMER people so stupit? not any more labong ,our people are smarter then you think they are . Oh,yes they will take your SARONG because those SARONG belong to them , you stole their money to buy one SARONG for them , but they gonna vote for uncle SAM RAINSY.
KHMER,toronto canada.
people will vote for leaders who help them. god bless cambodia.
ReplyDeleteYes, it the ones that got their votres last times that eveicted them from their land, that oppressed them, that sold out the country to the yuan and chen, koria, siam.
ReplyDeletecambodia ought to campaign to fight national illiteracy. gov't goal is to increase literacy rate to 99% or more in 10 or 20 years time frame. god bless cambodia.
ReplyDeleteGood idea, but do it first in long beach, and let us know what it will cost.
ReplyDeleteបោះឆ្នោត ថ្ងៃ ២៧ កក្កដា ២០០៨ មានតែ ពីរ ជំរើស ៖
ReplyDelete- បោះឆ្នោត អោយជនក្បត់ជាតិ (អាក្បត់ជាតិហ៊ុន សែន បំរើផលប្រយោជយួន)
ឬ
- បោះឆ្នោត ជូនអ្នកស្នេហាជាតិ (ឯកឧត្តមសម រង្ស៊ី បំរើផលប្រយោជខ្មែរ)
Two sides of the Cambodian vote on July 27, 2008, vote for :
- Traitor (ah Hun Sen youn servant, CPP: Communist Pro youn Party)
or
- Patriot (H.E. Sam Rainsy khmer servant, SRP: Sam Rainsy Party)
Khmer farmer
Warning: The sarong that you've just received as a gift from the See Pee Pee will have holes in the back.
ReplyDeleteWear it at your own risk!