Cambodia Key Developments 1. ● Cambodia had a general election in July 2023 in which digital repression tactics were documented to aid Prime Minister Hun Sen and his party, the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), to overwhelmingly win the election. Their victory, achieved without a viable opposition party, further entrenched the authoritarian regime’s stranglehold on politics. ● Cambodia is seen to be following China’s footsteps in wanting to establish its National Internet Gateway. This initiative is similar to the latter’s Great Firewall, a complex system that gives the government tight control over public narratives through censorship and mass surveillance. The country is also proposing a cybersecurity law which would give the government more control of its digital space by proposing a broad category of crimes under the vague category of “cybersecurity incidents.” The government has yet to finalize these two policy proposals as of the end of 2023. ● Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Facebook page often contains threats to critics and the opposition, which is amplified by his supporters. The page came into international headlines after Meta’s Oversight Board recommended to suspend it for containing incitement to violence. In the end, however, the company overturned the Board’s decision, thereby letting the dictator to continue using the platform without accountability. Overview Cambodia held another lopsided parliamentary elections in July 2023, which was won overwhelmingly by ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), headed by Hun Sen, a dictator who has held the position of prime minister since 1985. Prior to the elections, the opposition Candlelight Party, was disqualified from contesting the 43 election for failing to submit its registration documents. However, the party insisted that the documents were confiscated by the authorities during a raid some years ago43. The Candlelight Party is regarded as the successor to the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), which was dissolved in 2017 for politically motivated allegations prior to the 2018 parliamentary election. The party’s disqualification, along with the “Cambodia’s Only Major Opposition Party Is Barred From Running in July Elections.” The Guardian, 16 May 2023, www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/16/cambodias-only-major-opposition-party-is-barred-fromrunning-in-july-elections. 23