Young activists take to the streets ahead of the Cambodian elections
Cambodia’s upcoming elections have been dubbed the “Cambodian Spring”, with an unprecedented number of young activists taking to the streets and social media, demanding a change. More than a third of registered voters are aged between 18 and 30, and the Opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) has the young voters firmly in their sights. …
Social media activism
Crucial to the Opposition’s campaign are young voters like Kimsour Lim, a 24-year-old university student with a love for social media. “I use Facebook to coordinate with the youth to inform them when we are marching for the National Rescue Party,” she says. “Initially the youth, including myself, didn’t understand and were not interested in Facebook or politics, but later, I began to understand many problems in our society. …Fairness fears
The Executive Director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections (COMFREL) in Cambodia is impressed at the level of youth activism in this year’s election. “We are so happy and proud about the participation of young people in the election,” Koul Panha says. “Through social media, they get a lot of information about the election, about politics. “They share among themselves through social media, and that’s very positive.” COMFREL says despite the optimism, the campaign is not free and fair. …http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-22/an-cambodian-spring-feature/4834450
