In August 2023, after 38 years in power, Hun Sen stepped down as Prime Minister of Cambodia, only to appoint his son, Hun Manet, to the post. However, because he remains president of the Cambodian People’s Party, Hun Sen is expected to continue wielding significant power. As one of the world’s most enduring political dynasties, the Huns have clung to power for decades by eliminating all serious opposition that could jeopardize their reign. They are supported by family members and loyalists who hold key positions in all important sectors of the state machinery including various ministries, the army, the police and even the media and charities. They ensure the regime’s longevity through propaganda, political donations and the use of force. This system, which removes all separation between the executive, judiciary and legislature, serves the ruling oligarchy well.
A series of draconian laws enacted and planned over the past decade have been designed to silence dissent in Cambodia. This has led to the arrest of opposition leaders, trade unionists, environmentalists, and human rights defenders.
Expropriating the smallholdings of vulnerable peasant farmers, the government keeps granting concessions to agricultural and mining corporations, sparking conflicts over land rights.
Cambodia was one of the first Asian countries where Development and Peace ― Caritas Canada began working. In 1980, following the Vietnam War and the Khmer Rouge regime, a consortium of CIDSE members from Australia, Canada, Europe and New Zealand established a Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam-Indochina Program (CIDSE-CLV) with an office in Phnom Penh. By 2005, that office was no longer needed because a local Cambodian organization had taken over the country’s programming.
Development and Peace ― Caritas Canada currently partners with various Cambodian organizations, with a programmatic focus on democracy and citizen participation. Our partners support the mobilization of youths, women, and communities, mainly from minority groups including peasant and Indigenous communities and persons with disabilities.
Examples of our partners’ activities include:
We will continue working with the most marginalized populations to create robust and sustainable development structures with the participation of women. With over 65 per cent of Cambodians being under 30, we will also continue working with our partners to help young people develop critical thinking skills; to empower them to exercise their civil and political rights; and to equip them for social action in their communities.
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Our international cooperation program is carried out in part with the financial support of the Government of Canada acting through Global Affairs Canada.
Development and Peace — Caritas Canada is the official international solidarity organization of the Catholic Church in Canada and the Canadian member of Caritas Internationalis.
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