Thvan Trel is one 10 officials implicated by the Interior Ministry in Mondulkiri land grabs, and is running again for commune chief at the June 5 election. Local Bunong residents blame her for the sale and loss of their burial grounds.
The top NGOs registered to observe next month’s commune election have evident links to state officials — one headed by a prime minister’s son, another by a deputy prime minister, and a third by a ministry’s secretary of state.
Reporters followed the case of a 22-year-old from his call for help — in which he alleged he was trapped and electrocuted at a Kampot scam compound — to the efforts of a friend of his to get him out.
If the Cambodia Reform Party were to win commune positions, it would work to empower the grassroots and ensure there is no corruption in the delivery of public services, said party founder Ou Chanrath. He had to contest this election because an uncontested ballot risked turning Cambodia into a “second China,” he said.
Pate commune chief Chhay Thy is proud of the two roads he built over the past five years. The former rights worker turned ruling party politician said he was confident of ongoing support from residents, but some said they wanted a Jarai leader, not a Khmer outsider.
VOD reporters followed the launch of the official campaigning period for the June 5 commune election on Saturday morning. The Candlelight Party held a march through Phnom Penh, while the ruling CPP conducted gatherings within communes. Other parties like the Grassroots Democratic Party and the Khmer National United Party also kicked off their campaigning.
Sor Sarath is the only woman commune-chief candidate for the Grassroots Democratic Party. Sarath, a 38-year-old tailor, says she is committed to pushing for women’s rights and participation in social activities in Kampong Chhnang’s Kampong Tralach commune. The task is not a simple one but would be a lot easier if men got out of the way, she says.
Authorities stopped environmentalists investigating sewage flows into Phnom Penh rivers a year ago, jailing them for plotting. But black, foul-smelling discharges are continuing even as city officials said this week that they were unaware of a problem.
The party won just over 1,000 votes in Mondulkiri in 2017, and many local residents don’t even know its name — only its elephant logo. But amid rampant land loss — burial grounds seemingly targeted by brokers — the Indigenous People’s Party wants to push back.
Labeled a “great achievement” for Cambodia’s post-pandemic recovery, the country’s biggest goldmine also exemplifies some of the challenges facing indigenous communities seeking to protect traditions. “It’s something very dangerous to lose culture, lifestyle and traditional practices,” one Bunong lawyer said.
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