Mobilize Youths: Op-Ed by Kham Logue

Opposition youth campaigning in Battambang during the 2012 commune election

By Kham Logue, 29 August 2012
Originally posted on http://khamerlogue.wordpress.com/

`The Group good supersedes the Individual good', is an old adage but it still works timelessly like an old charm. The idealists, and especially the youths are fond of it.

In Cambodia politic, often youths were ignored but Hun Sen politicized them in greater good in volunteerism for the benefits of the society after his border demarcation address.

On 9 August 2012 Hun Sen's made a grand entrance and grand standing in his 5 hour border demarcation and swapping land with Yuon clarification address before the National Assembly. That had risen both in positive and negative feedbacks. The opposition seemed to think Hun Sen was unable to escape his treacherous acts.

Other hands his officials honored him with extraordinaire title. Before the youths eyes, Hun Sen made a historical event that none of the past regime leaders had achieved. This comparable to how one sees the half empty or half full glass example. At the same time, it appeared Hun Sen won approval on TKO over the opposition political jabs.

Because of the land grab and anarchy under his watch, people were upset and ready to take matter to streets in large scales. Almost coincidently his border demarcation clarification address turned out to be a golden opportunity for him to appeal for help from thousands of secondary schools student.

Donning in military garbs climbing on military organized trucks after the send off ceremonies, the youths went off to survey land and help CPP run government to grant ownership and titles to the rural folks.

Politically this is big deal to kids who have never been recognized officially as the national heroic volunteers. Hun Sen made them felt important and as the problems solvers. They esteem in their newly vested power because the government needed them. Each feels self-worth in such a dramatized skit. So when Hun Sen call upon them to volunteer in public services, they responded in thousands.

This mobilization is supposed to whitewash the K-5 tragedy in grand positive scale because at time the rich KPRP cadres can afford to pay stipends and supplied food to the so called conscripted volunteers. To top that the Government owned media and broadcasting systems blasting such propaganda to the countryside listeners,

"Our leader Hun Sen cares and sends helps to secure your land title and ownership for you, the poor land owner."

Other hand, the youths failed the calls from the opposition in vilifying Hun Sen treacherous acts.

This may be a fluke in projecting political perception. But really the opposition needed youths more than anything else in time. Although all know youths do not have money, but they do have time, effort and energy.

In grass root politics, not so much about money, but energy, effort and time are vitally important in political campaign.

Take President Obama campaign success in 2008 for example. Because he is effective in communicating his agendas with the youths, millions rallied to his support in making small pledges in cash but spent countless days and hours to bring message to the communities and voters door steps. That was the youths who helped making him the first elected minority to be the President in US 226 year history.

For the opposition, youth is the missing piece of the puzzle that needed prompt attention in fixing it.

Prior to his collusion with Hanoi in 1984 to eliminate the olds, Hun Sen was the designated head of Yuon spearheaded Youth Movement. Connivingly he used his ploy 'submit to resist, divide to conquer' to grab power all the way to the top. All of his adversaries, the Sihanoukians and Khmer Rouge proletarians were spun off to pieces in merely lesser than 10 years after 1993 election.

For the last two decades, Hun Sen continued to neutralize critics, press and opponents within his party rank. Not only that he keenly played off the oppositions within his party against one another but kept them at bay before each CPP congress assembly.

Although Chea Sim is the party Chair but it is Hun Sen who has control of power switches. He pulls strings on rivals. Subsequently sooner than later all rivals turned to be his accomplices and do-boys for life.

In the other political end, the opposing parties prematurely celebrated the Conjoined heads party birth. Before receiving the official certificate, the Conjoined heads party is exhilarated to celebrate and opportune the vacation tour in abroad to solicit donation.

The conjoined heads party should be more cautious with the loudly thunder in case the rain did not occur. In this we fear for it as when the going gets tough, the tough may get sluggish. It's déjà vu.

In all for a change, we wish the conjoined heads party well and hope it does walk the one walk and talk the one talk from a big town hall to a small village kitchen, from a person to a group and from a house to a community to clarify the why, what, who, whom, where, when and how on its objectives, so voters can share view and vote for.

We all know the old can't outdo the young but let us not be complacent and lost head in big dream before bed time. To mobilize youth and old alike altogether to step up the games that had never been played in Cambodia political arena before is the opposition's key to rule.

In this way and is the only way to make Hun Sen a fool out of his prophetic insult; "Opposition storm is only in the bottle," unbecoming true.

contact author: khmerlogue@gmail.com