Markus Karbaum's "Cambodia Under Hun Sen"

Book Review
Published by The Southeastern Globe Magazine
May 2009

"[Karbaum] suggests that when Hun Sen steps down, there will be a more "democratic" government in charge."

Winston Churchill once remarked: "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." In his analysis of Cambodia's political System, produced for Germany's Federal Ministry of Economic Co-operation and Development, Markus Karbaum seems to suggest that its current government employs an autocratic mandate that is in many ways the antithesis of the liberal democracy that Churchill saw as the least of the evils of governance.

Since the early 1990s the international Community has implemented programmes to encourage the establishment of a truly democratic System in Cambodia, but the author believes the country remains mired in a climate of nepotism, fear, violence and corruption.

Cambodia Under Hun Sen is a comprehensive portrayal of the kingdom's political setup and an astute analysis of the way in which its prime minister maintains his grip on the reins of power.

Karbaum pays particular attention to the country's electoral system and examines the level of legitimacy of the most recent polls, which returned Hun Sen to power with a landslide of support.

Karbaum also studies what he believes is a recurring pattern of political violence, even though all evidence points to a vast improvement in that area over successive elections. He also analyses the country's economic development in the light of persistent charges of corruption from both inside and outside the nation's borders.

Karbaum feels he needs to question the legitimacy of the entire System of governance based on what he describes as Hun Sen's "neo-patriarchal style". Fortunately, and quite rightly, Karbaum concludes that democratic values are well established in the country. Perhaps the only real quibble he has with the democratic process is that too few schemes allow grass roots representatives to communicate issues directly to those in power — except, of course, at election time.

Although, as a political analyst, he will recognise that Cambodia's progressive foundations have been achieved by decisive decision-making amidst a dislocated and chaotic political environment.

Karbaum has to balance his criticisms with the strength of Hun Sen's support across all sections of modern society despite his "undemocratic" tactics. He suggests that when Hun Sen steps down, there will be a more "democratic" government in charge. Through this he sees the strengthening of a liberal and democratic ethos throughout the country's institutions - hopefully, allied to like economic achievements.

Given that the book is a highly coherent and unique study of a little-known political arena, an English-language version is in the pipeline.

Opposition Party and Civil Society Call the Present Freedom of Khmer Citizens to Be Like the Freedom of Baby Chicken in a Fox’s Cage

Monday, 11.5.2009
The Mirror, Vol. 13, No. 612

“It becomes worse, now that the government as well as the National Assembly members of the Cambodian People’s Party encourage the limitation of the freedom of expression by setting specific places for public expression, and to limit the number of non-violent demonstrators to be not more than 200. This was criticized by the opposition parties and by civil society. Even though Cambodia accepted democratic policies to be implemented since 1991, still it is seen that the freedom of Khmer citizens in general means only the freedom of baby chicken in a fox’s cage. That means the government does not implement democratic procedures as it promised to do; on the contrary, the freedom of Khmer citizens is crushed as if a foot stepped on it.

“A parliamentarian and the spokesperson of the Sam Rainsy Party, Mr. Yim Sovann, directly criticized the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen, saying that the human rights situation and freedom as basis for the people, dropped gradually, which is a most hazardous signal.

“Mr. Yim Sovann told Sereypheap Thmey on Saturday, regarding the setting up of places for demonstrations and strikes, and the limitation of the number of demonstrators. ‘Victimized citizens who ask the government for help have to encounter many obstacles and therefore, they should be allowed to expressed their real intentions.’

“This Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian demands the government to stop such limitations to be imposed on citizens immediately, saying, ‘The government should offer them the possibility to express their freedom freely, and let them hold meetings for example at the relevant ministries from where they need solutions.’

“Mr. Yim Sovann thinks that the requirement for people to express their opinion only at set places is a restriction of their freedom of expression.

“It should be noted that recently, the Khmer National Assembly, where the majority of members belong to the Cambodian People’s Party, made a daft known about the limitation of the freedom for people who want to demonstrate to express their opinions, to express their freedom only in set places, and about a limitation of the number of demonstrators, not to be more than 200. An explanation was presented, saying that this aims to avoid public property problems.

“But Mr. Yim Sovann said that we have already related laws – let the law deal with persons who damage private or public property. Furthermore, the authorities have a role to ensure security, so that citizens can express their opinion broadly.

“Likewise, the president of the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights, Ms. Pong Chhiv Kek [Dr. Kek Galabru], said, ‘To impose such limitations is not right, because the The UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which entered into force on 23 March 1976. Cambodia is a signatory country, and the Covenant was ratified in 1992, so that international laws and freedom were given to all Khmer citizens, and Khmer citizens have the right to demonstrate and to strike freely. Therefore a limitation of the number of demonstrators, to be not more than 200, is not in line with international law.”

“Regarding laws which lead to restrictions on the freedom of expression, the president of the Cambodian Independent Teachers’ Association, Mr. Rong Chhun, said that this is applied in communist countries only.

“However, it is noticed that very often, during activities using the freedom of expression, through strikes and demonstrations, the police, being part of the government, frequently opposed such activities by hitting strikers and demonstrators cruelly. This shows that intimidation and restrictions on the freedom of expression were done by the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen since before a law, considered to be a limitation of freedoms, was created.

“In contrast, some analysts saw that the Cambodian government showed publicly to propose a law which means to create a human cage, the real characteristics of the government that wants to promote that Cambodian citizens have no freedom, or their freedom is limited and this limitation is not freedom.

“This indicates that there is a clear tendency of the current Cambodian government, which is heading towards a situation like in Burma or communist China’s track record, where freedom of opinion and expression were destroyed.” Sereypheap Thmey, Vol.16, #1712-1713, 10-11.5.2009

Can Cambodia become an Asian tiger?

Wed, Jul 30 2008
Money Matters

Neither very democratic nor well-run, the country has nevertheless seen economic growth of more than 10% a year since 2000

Cambodia’s ruling party won re-election in an imperfectly democratic ballot on 27 July. Corrupt, impoverished, with high population growth and poor infrastructure, the country might seem a basket case.

Yet, with Vietnamese backing and nearly 10% annual economic growth since 2000, it may be turning into another Asian Tiger.

Cambodia is neither very democratic nor very well-run. Its leader Hun Sen was backed by Vietnam when it overthrew the Khmer Rouge in 1979, and he has been prime minister since 1985.

Cambodia ranks at No. 162 on Transparency International’s 2007 Corruption Perceptions Index, well below the threshold at which normal business becomes difficult—a sale of land to foreign investors in 2007 seems to have benefited mostly the ruling elite.

Like its neighbour Vietnam, Cambodia is suffering an imported inflation problem because of rising food and fuel costs. The government’s solution has been to cease reporting the country’s consumer price index “to avert the possibility of disorder and turmoil”.

Nevertheless, there are signs of progress. Cambodia has enjoyed economic growth of more than 10% a year since 2000, led by its main export industry, garments.

Its annual population growth has declined from 2.3% in 2000 to 1.8%, facilitating rapid economic growth by reducing the strains that high population growth places on education and infrastructure.

Cambodia’s public sector absorbs only 12% of its gross domestic product (GDP), its budget and payments are close to balance, and it expects to open a stock exchange in 2009.

Foreign investment is the key, as it has been in Vietnam, where it totalled 65% of GDP in the first half of 2008. Cambodia permits 100% foreign ownership in most sectors, and foreign investment is expected to double in 2008 from $2.7 billion (Rs11,475 crore today) in 2007 (30% of GDP), with China and South Korea the leading investors.

Corruption and a lack of public sector transparency stand in the way.

But with rapid growth in Vietnam, greater prosperity in Thailand, its other neighbour, and the US market open to its exports, Cambodia could be set to become an Asian Tiger in its own right.