On July 29, 2018, the Cambodian government held the nation’s sixth general election to choose representatives for the National Assembly. International groups have spent billions of dollars funding pro-democracy civil society efforts over the past 25 years yet this election has been deemed the most unfair and unfree since the United Nations organized the first post-genocide election in 1993. The government, headed by Prime Minister Hun Sen who has been in power since 1985, believes otherwise.
This is the Github Pages version of Voice of America's 2018 Cambodia Election project: Cambodia Adrift. It was launched on the eve of the election after the Cambodian government blocked 15 independent news sites, including VOA.
This site continued to be updated, promoted and available in Cambodia throughout the election weekend.
A VOA Khmer Service team spent six months talking with Cambodians during the run-up to the nation’s sixth national vote for 125 members of the National Assembly. The team traveled to six provinces and Phnom Penh, the capital city, and focused on rural residents because they are the majority of Cambodia’s voters. Many spoke of how they feel left behind by their nation’s economic expansion, which is upending their traditional way of life as they are buffeted by national and global forces.
The project is available in English and Khmer.
Reporting: Chhengpor Aun, Channy Chheng, Chenda Hong, Sokummono Khan, Kimseng Men, Vannarin Neou, Khemara Sok, Narin Sun, Soksreinith Ten, Malis Tum, Julia Wallace
Camera and video production: Chhengpor Aun, David Boyle, Sokummono Khan, Povleakhena Nov, Mony Say
Editing: Mia Bush, Tom Detzel, Jill Erzen, Elizabeth Hughes, Mary Motta, Daniel Pye, Paul Vrieze, Julia Wallace
Design and development: Brian Williamson