Cambodia’s Illiberal and Ill-practised Democracy

Ruling regimes in Cambodia's recent history have always claimed to represent the 'democratic' will of the Cambodian people, including Pol Pot's "Democratic Kampuchea", followed by the 'People's Republic of Kampuchea' [PRK] now renamed the "Cambodian People's Party" [CPP] to resurrect or reclaim the CPP's historical political antecedent and founder: the 'People's Party' [the Pracheachun Party] formed and intended as a political, parliamentary arm of the Indochinese Communist Party in Cambodia under the direction of the North Vietnamese to entrench Vietnamese influence and presence in the nation's political life  - School of Vice

The CPP's Vietnamese mentors and founders took full advantage of Cambodia's semi-literate and predominantly rural population as the bastion of their long term political support and recruiting base, rich with social tensions and saddled with resentment towards the traditional ruling elites throughout the post-colonial era. Sihanouk and his advisers had had a period of stability and peace in which to forge lasting public institutional foundations that could have denied the Vietnamese this opportunity but had failed to read the signs of the time. The French picked monarch had thought his cult of personality and the potent symbolism embedded in the royal throne alone would suffice to deny political rival groups competition for his subjects' allegiance, and like the hedonistic French bourgeoisie had opted to spend much of his long years at the political helm pursuing the obligatory decadence and excesses of a king in the realm of the senses instead; a penchant for which his well-publicised medical condition had been one ineluctable symptom -  School of Vice

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Op-ed by XMEN

To School of Vice,

I have to agree with the point raised in this letter to the Phnom Penh Post [from Heinz Wiese] when it said that "the present upheaval in Cambodia is one of the best things that could have happened to this country".

Let's define what democracy is:

A government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by the people or by their elected agents under a free electoral system. It is clearly stated that it is by the people, for the people and of the people; however, it is not so in Cambodia where both, the King and CPP violated the Constitution.

This is where the King and CPP have violated the Constitution. Article 7 reads the following:

(The King of Cambodia shall reign but shall not govern). Article 8:
(The King of Cambodia shall be a symbol of unity and eternity of the nation).

Article 9: (The King shall assume the august role of arbitrator to ensure the faithful execution of public
powers).




Article 19: (The King shall appoint the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers
according to the procedures
stipulated in Article 100).

Article 23: (The King is the Supreme Commander of the
Royal Khmer Armed Forces. The Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Khmer Armed Forces shall be appointed to command the Armed
Forces).

Article 27: (The King shall have the right to grant partial or complete amnesty). Article 38: (The law guarantees there shall be no physical abuse against any individual).

Article 39: (Khmer citizens shall have the right to denounce, make complaints or file claims against any breach of the law by state and social organs or by members of such organs committed during the course of their duties. The settlement of complaints and claims shall be the competence of the courts).

Article 41: (Khmer citizens shall have freedom of expression, press, publication and assembly. No one shall exercise this right to infringe upon the rights of others, to effect the good traditions of the society, to violate public law and order and national security).

Article 42: (Khmer Citizens shall have the right to establish associations and political parties. These rights shall be determined by law. Khmer citizens may take part in mass organizations for mutual benefit to protect national achievement and social order).

Article 49: (Every Khmer citizen shall respect the Constitution and laws).

Article 51: (The Kingdom of Cambodia adopts a policy of Liberal Democracy and Pluralism.
The Cambodian people are the master of their own country.
All powers belong to the people. The people exercise these powers through the National Assembly, the Royal Government and the Judiciary.
The Legislative, Executive, and the Judicial powers shall be separate).

An Article 76 states the following: (The National Assembly consists of at least 120 members). If you ask anyone about how Pluralistic Democracy works, they will tell you the same thing, that prior to the First Opening Ceremony of the National Assembly, you must have at least 120 members of officials which elected by the people of Cambodia. You cannot attend the Royal Palace Hall without first have the entire members of elected officials there. What CPP has done instead is clearly a blatant violation of our Constitution, thus the Upheaval and the Civil Disobedience should be the next key issue for the CNRP to consider. I have more to say, but very little of time. After reading what I have posted to this article I hope you understand my thoughts, until then, have a great day.


XMEN