Cambodian Strategic Study Group

Selected Works Contemporary Perspectives on Cambodia and the Asia Pacific Volume I Vannarith Chheang Phoak Kung Phnom Penh, Cambodia Copyright © 2014 by Vannarith Chheang and Phoak Kung All rights reserved. Published in Cambodia by the Cambodian Strategic Study Group. ISBN-13: 978-999-63-897-02 Printed In Cambodia, courtesy of the Asia Foundation http://asiafoundation.org/index.php Volume I In Memory Of You Seantho And Sonayany Content Forward by Silas Everett, i Part I Domestic Issues Cambodia’s Politics in an Age of Social Media, 3 Phoak Kung Cambodia Breaks Political Deadlock, At Last, 7 Vannarith Chheang Rethinking Cambodia’s Reconciliation Process, 10 Phoak Kung Revisit Security Sector Reform in Cambodia, 14 Vannarith Chheang The Cambodian People’s Party: A Deficit of Leadership, 17 Phoak Kung Cambodia’s Gov’t Should Promote Political Participation, 21 Phoak Kung How Universities Can Help Improve the Quality of Education, 24 Phoak Kung The Making of Cambodia’s Foreign Policy, 28 Vannarith Chheang The Future of Cambodia, 33 Vannarith Chheang Losing the People: Government Legitimacy Stumbles in Cambodia, 37 Phoak Kung Solving the Skills Shortage, 47 Phoak Kung Cambodia: A Dangerous Game of Brinkmanship, 50 Phoak Kung The Cambodia National Rescue Party: What’s Next?, 55 Phoak Kung Cambodia: Breaking the Deadlock, 60 Phoak Kung The Cambodian Monarchy Must Step Back From Politics, 67 Phoak Kung Reforming the Cambodian People’s Party, 70 Phoak Kung Hun Sen Stands Firm on Election Results, 76 Vannarith Chheang Toward Elections in Cambodia: Current Debates and Prospects, 79 Vannarith Chheang Narrowed Political Gap in Cambodia, 83 Vannarith Chheang Part II Regional Issues Cambodia-China Relations: Overcoming the Trust Deficit, 89 Phoak Kung The Rise of China and Cambodia, 94 Vannarith Chheang Cambodia and ASEAN: Building an Identity, 97 Vannarith Chheang Agenda for the Post-2015 ASEAN Governance, Inclusiveness, Innovation and Global Engagement, 100 Vannarith Chheang Cambodia and Thailand Warm Ties, 103 Vannarith Chheang A Cambodian Perspective on the Mekong River, 106 Vannarith Chheang Sino-US Relations Fundamental to Regional Peace, 111 Vannarith Chheang Cambodia and Japan Consolidate Ties, 114 Vannarith Chheang Cambodia and Thai Crisis, 118 Vannarith Chheang Thai Junta Puts Cambodian Migrants at Risk, 123 Vannarith Chheang Can the South China Sea Disputes Be Resolved?, 128 Vannarith Chheang Japan Spreads its Security Wing in the Asia-Pacfic, 132 Vannarith Chheang Major Powers Cross Swords at the Recent Shangri-La Dialogue, 137 Vannarith Chheang Thein Sein: ASEAN Is at Critical Juncture, 141 Vannarith Chheang The Mekong River Is at Risk, 145 Vannarith Chheang India-ASEAN Going Beyond Delhi Dialogue VI, 149 Vannarith Chheang China and Its Southeast Asian Neighbours Need More Strategic Capital, 154 Vannarith Chheang More to US-Cambodia Relations Than Rights, 157 Vannarith Chheang Charting Vietnam’s Course, 161 Vannarith Chheang US-Cambodia Relations: New Momentum, 164 Vannarith Chheang ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus the "ASEAN WAY", 168 Vannarith Chheang Reinvigorating US-ASEAN Relations, 172 Vannarith Chheang The China-ASEAN FTA Brings Advantages and Challenges, 175 Vannarith Chheang ASEAN Must Act in Cambodian-Thai Dispute, 177 Vannarith Chheang About the Authors, 179 Forward by Silas Everett It is hard to find analysis of current events and critique of public policy written by Cambodian scholars, particularly on Cambodia and the Asia Pacific region. This book, written by Chheang Vannarith and Phoak Kung, is just that. The book is a compilation of selected articles which provide fresh perspectives on contemporary issues in Cambodia and the Asia Pacific region. The book is provocative in its discussion of the unfolding political and social developments in the country and insightful in its treatment of emerging regional dynamics. Refreshingly, the authors do this while steering clear of the trap of national and regional exceptionalism. Chheang and Phoak have been working on this project together for almost two years. The book provides readers, whether policy-maker or general enthusiast, entry into a series of conversations, many taking place now in Phnom Penh and echoed in the region. The authors selected these particular works because they wanted to offer a platform for critical debate and exchange of ideas. In their entirety, these articles demonstrate the increasing importance of Cambodia’s role in the Asia and Pacific region, and add further evidence of the increasing importance of Asia and Pacific region in transforming the global order. Chheang and Phoak are emerging thought leaders in Cambodia in their own right, and increasingly recognized more widely as policy specialists in the region. Chheang is a lecturer of Asia Pacific studies at the University of Leeds, a non-resident fellow at the Cambodia Institute for Cooperation and Peace, and co-founder of the Cambodia Strategic Study Group. He has published widely on regional economic integration and security issues in Southeast Asia, and political and economic development of Cambodia. Chheang earned his PhD in Asia Pacific Studies from the Ritsumeikan Asia ii Silas Everett Pacific University in Japan in 2009. Phoak is Vice President for Academic Affairs at Mengly J. Quach University in Cambodia. He is also co-founder of the Cambodian Strategic Study Group (CSSG) and a Senior Research Fellow at the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace (CICP). He was working on his PhD in Political Science at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom. He obtained his Master in Public Policy and Graduate Diploma in Public Administration from the Australian National University. While the opinions and the entirety of the content of the book represent the views of the authors alone, the Foundation was delighted to support the publication of this important work as part of our efforts to promote dialogue and understanding on important policy issues in the region. The Asia Foundation is a nonprofit international development organization committed to improving lives across a dynamic and developing Asia. Informed by six decades of experience and deep local expertise, our programs address critical issues affecting Asia in the 21st century—governance and law, economic development, women's empowerment, environment, and regional cooperation. Silas Everett Country Representative The Asia Foundation Phnom Penh, Cambodia DOMESTIC ISSUES Cambodia’s Politics in an Age of Social Media By Phoak Kung Prior to the 2013 election, social media was hardly thought of as having a role in transforming Cambodia’s political landscape. Suddenly, social media – most notably Facebook and YouTube – became the talk of the town. And this started after the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) suffered a huge drop in popular support, obtaining only 68 out of 123 seats. The result surprised many people, and the emerging consensus is that social media is clearly one of the most important factors that attributes to the stunning performance of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP). For a long time, the ruling elites have relied heavily on traditional media outlets as a means to communicate with voters, and they only began to embrace social media in recent years. It has been a slow and careful process. Only a handful of party members – especially the young ones – have been actively using social media to defend the CPP’s achievements and legacy, attack the CNRP’s policies and respond to criticism. Given that the opposition has little access to traditional media outlets, social media become the backbone of its campaign strategy. The CNRP’s leaders have been very effective in using the new medium to mobilize tens of thousands of people to take to the street to protest against the ruling elites. Moreover, they use social media to criticize the government, present their policies and inform the public about their political activities. Furthermore, social media has also been extensively used by a large number of non-partisan civil society groups to campaign for a wide range 4 Phoak Kung of issues such as deforestation, land eviction, corruption, human right violations, economic inequality and social injustice. Although it is very hard to measure their impact on reforms, such efforts clearly produce some positive results in terms of raising public awareness and keeping the government in check. The Dominance of Social Media In fact, the emergence of social media as one of the dominant forces in Cambodia’s politics does not come as a big surprise. According to the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, the number of phone subscribers and Internet users reached 20 million and 3.8 million respectively in 2013. Moreover, there are nearly one million Facebook users, most of whom are youths. And the number is expected to rise much faster in the coming years. This clearly suggests that the era of government monopoly on information is gradually coming to an end. People can use social media for a very low cost, and in just a click, their words can spread like wildfire. For instance, videos of clashes between riot police and protesters are often made available online, allowing people to form their own opinion on who should be held accountable for the violence. The Politics of Social Media However, while social media is seen as being used primarily for political purposes, it can also make a positive impact on some of the most critical issues facing Cambodia at the moment. Around 70 percent of the population is under the age of 35. Youth are becoming the most potent (demographic) in Cambodia’s politics. Political parties can take advantage of the new medium to reach out to this young cohort by providing them a platform to debate policy, voice opinions, give feedback and offer solutions. In addition, social media can also help improve the delivery of public goods and services. Facing serious resource constraints, there is no way Cambodia’s Politics in an Age of Social Media 5 that the government can have complete control over the implementation of its programs across the country.

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