Earlier this month, when a municipal court in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh found Opposition leader Kem Sokha guilty of treason and sentenced him to a 27-year prison sentence, the international community and global rights groups were quick to condemn the move.
The United States said it was “deeply troubled” by the conviction of the “respected leader”. “His trial, built on a fabricated conspiracy, was a miscarriage of justice,” U.S. Ambassador W. Patrick Murphy, said in a tweet. Terming the ruling “politically motivated”, Human Rights Watch, a New York-based global rights watchdog, said it was based on “bogus charges”. Amnesty International said in a statement: “The Cambodian justice system has once again shown its jaw-dropping lack of independence by convicting Kem Sokha on baseless, politically motivated charges. This verdict is an unmistakable warning to opposition groups months before national elections.”
Cambodia’s general elections are scheduled to be held in July this year. Incumbent Prime Minister Hun Sen, who will seek another term in the coming election, has remained in the position for nearly 40 years, earning the distinction of being one of the longest-serving leaders in the world. The ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) currently holds all seats in parliament. With political opposition being wiped out, and little space for dissent, the regime will likely continue, according to Cambodian analysts.
Vanishing democratic space
In addition to democratic freedoms, inclusive development that speaks to people’s needs, will be imperative for the country’s progress, local activists note. Reeling under the lingering impact of Pol Pot’s dictatorship, and the cycles of war which officially ended in 1991, the Southeast Asian country that is home to over 17 million people is struggling to elevate its economy from a lower-income status. Cambodia’s economic growth in the past decade, of about 7% per annum, was largely driven by its export-oriented, labour-intensive manufacturing sectors, such as garments, travel goods, and footwear.
But, the ruling establishment appears to regard democracy as dispensable, be it in governance or development, community leaders observe with concern. “It is just impossible to access credible data in the official records, there is no transparency. Journalists are afraid to take on the government or the Prime Minister, because of repression,” a senior journalist, who is also part of a professional free media network, said. In a move that drew much criticism from rights defenders last month, Mr. Hun Sen ordered the closure of ‘Voice of Democracy’, a prominent local radio station that was one of the last remaining free media outlets in the country, for allegedly criticising his son in a story.
‘Thoughtless’ development
If democracy is under threat, it is not as if the government’s development agenda is speaking to people’s immediate needs, according to locals. And in this context, the spotlight on Chinese investment in Cambodia is growing. In the last decade alone China has loaned and invested billions of dollars, in infrastructure projects, including roads and bridges, emerging as a key player in Foreign Direct Investments in the Southeast Asian country.
The scenic coastal town of Sihanoukville is a clear case in point. A brand-new 187km-long expressway, built with a Chinese investment of $2 billion, connects the port town with capital Phnom Penh, reducing travel time by more than half, to just about two hours. Part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the expressway was opened late last year. During a visit this February, the sleek expressway looked nearly empty. The local Phnom Penh Post reported that high-speed commuters are charged between $12 (roughly 48,563 Cambodian Riel) and $60 for a one-way trip.
Beginning 2017, the port town saw a casino boom, as authorities pushed investment to develop the area as a tourists’ hotspot. Chinese businessmen, in turn, saw huge potential for investment. Chinese money, and workers flowed in as online gambling picked up rapidly. The buzz in the sector translated to big changes in real estate, with rampant, disorderly construction activity all over the town. Rental prices in the area spiked, making homes and apartments increasingly unaffordable to locals.
In an abrupt policy shift in August 2019, the Cambodian government banned online gambling, amid growing reports of criminality and human trafficking. The ban left scores of Cambodian labourers jobless and also led to an exodus of Chinese workers — over 4,47,000 Chinese nationals left the country soon after, according to an official statement. Although the “boom” was short-lived, the trail of its damage is stark. Hundreds of unfinished, or unoccupied high-rise buildings dot the city. Youth are jobless and the entire landscape of this town has been altered beyond recognition, locals engaged in environmental conservation said.
Further north, in the city of Siem Reap, the second largest after the capital, tourism is seeing a revival after the pandemic. Visitors throng the iconic Angkor Wat temple complex, where India is currently involved in restoring its stunning 12th century sites.
Locals, however, are preoccupied with the environmental impact of development around the Mekong River irrigating the region. The river, running through many countries in the region, including China, Thailand, and Vietnam, and known for its rich marine resources, is increasingly being eyed as a source of hydropower. Along with its tributaries, the Mekong meets over 75% of Cambodia’s protein requirements and irrigates the rice-eating country’s primary paddy cultivation belt. “With more hydropower dams coming up and developmental activity accelerating, we see a sharp drop in our fish catch. Crop yields are affected, because of frequent flooding, and the livelihoods of farmers and fisher folk are under serious threat,” said a community leader, working on livelihood support in the region.
The international gaze on Cambodia is centred on Chinese investment, given Cambodia’s close ties with China. In February, Prime Minister Hun Sen met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing and said he wanted to give the world a “clear message” that the Cambodian people “would always stand with” the Chinese people. President Xi reciprocated with a pledge to encourage more Chinese enterprises to invest in Cambodia, help construct the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone in Cambodia, and support Cambodia in building transportation infrastructure, according to a news report in China’s official news agency Xinhua. Locals appear more concerned about unbridled development that is detached from people’s needs, than about who backs it.
India, which is currently engaged mostly in technical training and livelihood support, could do more to support local entrepreneurship, a youth activist noted. “But more importantly, India must help promote democracy within Cambodia,” he said. “Without democratic freedoms, the government’s development initiatives cannot reach our people or serve them meaningfully.”
(The writer was part of a recent study tour to Cambodia organised by the The East–West Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. Citing frequent crackdowns, local activists requested that their names be withheld.)
