Cambodians Overseas
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Overseas Absentee Voting in South East Asia by comparing between Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philiphines
Political Paradigm of Pragmatism from the Khmer Youth part 64
This part (64), Mr. Sophan Seng analysed overseas absentee voting by comparing between Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
According to IDEA, an organization focusing on Diaspora worldwide, there are more than 300 countries have included their overseas citizens to vote their home-country elections. In the ASEAN region, the record illustrated Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Lao, have included their overseas citizens. Malaysia is believed to include overseas citizens to vote in the next election.
Country |
Qualification of Overseas Voters |
Who/what may be voted |
Voting Method |
Voting Period |
Deadline for Receipt of Ballots |
Voting Statistics |
Indonesia (1.36 m est. Overseas population) | A citizen, age 17th, and a registered voter | President, Vice President, Members of Parliament for electoral district of Jakarta | Voting in PersonPostal Voting | Election day | Election day | N.A. Except for The Netherlands where turn-out was 77% |
Pillippines (7.76 m estimate overseas population) | A citizen, age 18 and a registered voter | President, Vice President, Senators and Party-List Representatives to Congress | Voting in PersonPostal Voting | 30 days for land-based voters; 60 days for seamen | Election | 65.00% |
Thailand | A citizen, age 18 on January 1 in year of election, and a registered voter | Members of Parliament | Voting in PersonPostal | Variable subject to discretion of embassy or consulate | 6 days before election day | 39.53% (2000)35.7%
(2001) |
Political Paradigm of Pragmatism from the Khmer Youth part 62
Political Paradigm of Pragmatism from the Khmer Youth part 62
This part (62) broadcasted in April 24-25, 2016, Mr. Sophan Seng continued to articulate on the statement of HE Sik Bun Hok, president of the National Election Committee (NEC), to include migrant workers to register to vote and to vote per se in Cambodia upcoming election ie. commune election 2017 and national election 2018.
According to this announcement, it is a good news for migrant workers working domestically and internationally. Mr. President must state it clear that migrant workers in Thailand, South Korea, and many other places outside Cambodia could register and vote in their sites without interrupting to travel back to Cambodia to register as well as to vote.
Mr. Sophan Seng is appealing the President of NEC and NEC’s members to seriously articulate and implement the inclusive voters registration and to undertake the voting boots at their nearest places while working overseas. Further more, Mr. Sophan solemnly requested NEC to undertake Cambodians overseas absentee voting so that all those Cambodians overseas can actively participate in building the future of Cambodia.
All Cambodians overseas are entitled to vote in Cambodia elections
Political Paradigm of Pragmatism from the Khmer Youth part 61
This part (61), Mr. Sophan Seng analysed on the “Cambodian voters from overseas” that are differentiated by their resettlement mandate.
For those who are living in foreign countries permanently such as Cambodia diaspora members in the United States, Canada, France, Australia, and many other parts of the world, they should be facilitated to vote in Cambodia elections. There are approximately 500,000 or half million Cambodians overseas among those diaspora who have hugely contributed for nation-building of Cambodia.
Cambodian citizens who are temporarily living oversea are migrant workers, students, soldiers stationing in South Africa, and government officials. There are approximately 100,000,0 or 1 million Cambodians temporary living abroad. Those people are entitled to vote in all Cambodia elections.
Elections in Cambodia are thought as a mean to prolong authoritarian power
Political Paradigm of Pragmatism from the Khmer Youth 59
This part (59), Mr. Sophan Seng analysed on the recent public statement and press conference by Comfrel or The committee for free and fair elections in Cambodia. According to the press conference, Mr. Michael who is one of the advisory board members stressed that the ongoing practices of authoritarian countries which have used election as a pretext to renew their power, and Mr. Pannha who is director placed doubts on state’s inference with current national election committee (NEC).
Mr. Sophan highly agreed with Michael that through academic researches and real world politiks, many authoritarian countries are conducting elections to legitimize their power. Often, those countries including Cambodia under PM Hun Sen leadership, they have always attempted to threat and intimidate the voters through using public speech on both explicit and implicit threatening. More than that, they have always used judiciary system to favor their political agenda.
For what Mr. Pannha said, Mr. Sophan observed that NEC that was created by 4 members from each political parties are not in equilibrium of power because 4 members from government-led party CPP could enjoy the free ride of both conducting daily business without intimidation and fear of political reprisal at all. For 4 members from opposition party, CNRP, they are mindful in all movements and they are easily been feared, distracted, and faced political reprisal in all time. The bad working environment for 4 members from opposition party is also significantly caused by the ongoing biased court of Cambodia.
At the end, the lacking of political will of Hun Sen leadership to include Cambodians overseas to vote, is another attempt showing that election is just a mean for his long term grip in power in Cambodia.