Case Study: Public opinion in Cambodia

Although politicians were seeking to obtain as much information as possible from public opinion surveys, their main purpose was simply to refine existing policies. The general assumption in the Cambodian government is that people are not as rational as they believe they are, and so may act in a way that is not in their own best inter- ests. Thus, it is the responsibility of leaders to make tough decisions on behalf of their supporters. This view shaped political parties’ perception towards public opin- ion in many important ways.

It has not, however, prevented public opinion from taking center stage in Cambodian politics. Since 1993, civil society organizations (CSOs) have proliferated, working on a wide range of issues. They are often seen as representing the “voice of the poor and vulnerable and help put a spotlight on public discontent. It is not uncommon for CSOs to be” “engaged in fierce arguments with the government. The fact that CSOs often get financial support from Western countries makes the ruling elite all the more dubious of them.

Since the early 2000s, some international organizations have conducted several large surveys in Cambodia. These surveys have touched on some of the most criti- cal issues facing the country today, including corruption, the judicial system, and hu- man rights. In response, the Hun Sen government tends to dispute the findings, and accuses the organizations of misleading the public and siding with the opposition.

Perhaps, the single most important factor that has helped turn public opinion into one of the most potent forces in Cambodia’s politics is the growing use of informa- tion technology in recent years. According to the Ministry of Posts and Telecommu- nications, the number of mobile subscribers reached 20 million in 2013, while the number of Internet users stood at 3.8 million. Meanwhile, Social Media Plus shows that there were almost 740,000 Cambodian Facebook accounts in 2012.

With the arrival of this new medium, a new platform has emerged, where people can share information with little or no government censorship. More importantly, it direct- ly challenges the traditional media outlets, giving voters different sources of informa- tion that they can use to form their own opinion. In addition, electronic media also allows people to mobilize support for a wide range of issues, some of which have little hope of gaining traction on traditional media outlets.

These changes cannot be reversed without potential cost. Echoing this view, politi- cians from both sides of the political spectrum are starting to embrace this new tech- nology. Tellingly, social media is the backbone of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party’s (CNRP) campaign strategy. The party mostly uses this new media to promote its policies and attack the ruling elites. It has also been very effective at using it to mobilize hundreds of thousands of people to protest against the govern- ment.

In contrast, only a handful of CPP leaders, mostly the younger ones, actively en- gage in new media, and those that do are slow and cautious in their approach. Sim- ilarly, the preferred use is to defend the party legacy and attack the opposition. Al- though they acknowledge the growing importance of social media, the ruling party is still skeptical to what extent this new technology can replace traditional media out- lets.

However, prior to the July 2013 election, both the CPP and the CNRP did make heavy use of social media to connect with voters and give them a platform to crit- icize the other side. Much less interest was shown in canvassing public opinion on the issues of the day.

The shock election result may have changed this calculus. Today, driven perhaps by a fear of punishment at the polls, there are signs that politicians are paying more at- tention to what people have to say about the issues. This view seems to be shared at the highest levels of both parties. Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Facebook account sometime asks visitors to opine on government policy.

Source: http://thediplomat.com/2014/10/the-rise-of-public-opinion-in-cambodias-pol- itics/