Cambodian opposition taps songs, social media

At almost every corner where campaigners from the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party rally, “Gangnam Style,” the country’s own popular songs, and hand signals for the number seven are always heard and seen.

The number refers to the opposition party’s position on the ballot. The ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) of Prime Minister Hun Sen holds No 4 on the ballot.

Social media through the use of Facebook, Twitter and blog postings with political comments is another sharp sword for the opposition, which realises the youth – the biggest users of such social media – are potential supporters.

According to the National Election Committee, 3.5 million of the country’s 9.5 million registered voters for the election this Sunday are between the ages of 18 and 30.

Nearly 1 million of the country’s 14.5 million Cambodians access social media and most of them are youth.

CNRP leader Sam Rainsy, 64, is for many Cambodians rather old but is still enthusiastic about the new information technology and no doubt he was proud to have his own Facebook page, with many fans signed in.

He has claimed that, up until June 13, he had 67,595 Facebook followers, more than those of Hun Sen, who has 67,561.

Sam Rainsy’s claim at the time was immediately ruled out by Hun Sen’s Cabinet, saying that the premier has never used such social media despite the premier’s name appearing on Facebook.

By Monday evening, Sam Rainsy’s fans on Facebook reached 148,975.

Kem Ley, an independent social analyst, said the CNRP has no choice but to use this social media as a major tool for campaigning against the CPP, which controls the conventional media.

“Social media is very effective because it is accessed mostly by the youth, educated people and overseas Cambodians who are considered strong financial supporters for the opposition party,” he said.

“P’do! P’do! P’do!” (Change! Change! Change!) has become a popular message by the newly formed CNRP, which was formed through a merger of Sam Rainy’s eponymous party and the Human Rights Party.

 On the day that Sam Rainsy returned home last Friday after nearly four years of self-imposed exile in France, tens of thousands of supporters cheered him. Sam Rainsy made several statements criticising the CPP including sarcastic remarks about the CPP’s logo of an angel spraying flowers as a “fake angel” and he made a loud call to his supporters to “change to a real angel” through his party.

Sam Rainsy blames the CPP for corruption, poverty and poor handling of the national interests and the people. The CPP has for many years claimed that its party’s logo represents the CPP leadership in rescuing the country and people from death during the Khmer Rouge regime from 1975 to 1979, which was blamed for the deaths of at least 1.7 million Cambodians.

Hun Sen is one of the longest serving leaders in the world, with 28 years having passed since he came to power in 1985. And for this reason, the CNRP is manipulating another Cambodian popular song titled “Wearing the same shirt, never take it off.”

The title in Khmer “Paek Aov Mindel Khoeunh Doh”, which literally can be translated into two meanings “Never take off your same shirt” or “We can’t see your breast as long as you are wearing this same shirt.”

Theary Seng, one of the strong supporters of the CNRP, said that the election this time is different and that this election could be a “tipping point.”

She cited the big change in social media, smart phones plus rising English usage.

“The previous elections did not have a public venue where Cambodians, particularly young people, could exchange information and be part of something larger than themselves,” she said.

This is closely connected to the growing comfort level and increasing number of Cambodians proficient in English, not only to be on Facebook, but also who have access to a broader array of information which is in English.

“Even if English is still the dominant language of social media, the comfort level and increasing quality of the Khmer Unicode also facilitated the growing use of social media,” she added.

The CPP, however, has its own strong strategy and explanations too.

Hun Sen has appealed to voters to vote for the CPP if they “love ... and trust Hun Sen.”

While realising youth are a rising force in the country, children of leaders and government officials including sons of Hun Sen are jumping into the political arena and are playing big roles in youth movements and social and humanitarian issues, hoping their moves will gain support from the public as in past elections.

 Hun Many, 30, the youngest of Hun Sen’s three sons, is the head of the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia, a CPP youth wing, and is a first-time candidate for parliament.

 Last Sunday, he delivered a statement to about 20,000 CPP youth supporters, urging them to unite against calls by the opposition for a change in government, warning that the CPP’s loss in the election would cause instability and chaos.

“On behalf of the youth of the Cambodian People’s Party, we need to maintain a clear political stand to gather together to protect the achievements of the Cambodian People’s Party. We must protect the tree of peace that has been so fruitful for all of us,” he said.

 “If we are careless and lack consideration and there is not a strong political will to protect this prosperity, it can be lost immediately and the whole nation will fall into instability and society will be beset by chaos,” he warned.

 While “four” is an unlucky number in China, the CPP says it represents four faces that help look at all four corners if any problem occurs and they can offer immediate help to people in need. It also symbolises the four sublime states of Buddhism, which includes charity, compassion, sympathy and equanimity to anyone in the universe.

The CPP also uses the popular song “Goodwill of the Youth” which calls for unity for a stronger nation and its strongest message is that the CPP secures the country’s stability, national reconciliation and peace.

 The Oscar-winning movie “The Killing Fields” has been used as one of the strong campaign tools for the CPP, telling younger generations not to forget the Khmer Rouge regime from which only the CPP could help rescue their grandparents and parents from death.

 While the artistic celebrities are widely known and fanned by the masses, the CPP has picked most of Cambodia’s actors, actresses, comedians, and singers, and quite often, they help campaign for the ruling party.

The CNRP, on the other hand, has manipulated a photo session of Hollywood couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, holding up No 7, taken in Africa three years ago, as a way to support the CNRP on social media.

 Eight political parties are registered in the upcoming election. The CPP is expected to win the most seats in the election, followed by the CNRP.