FACT CHECK: Cambodia: After 30 Years, a Promise of Democracy Still Broken.
On October 23, Cambodia commemorated the 30th anniversary of the Paris Peace Accords (PPA), which marked the official conclusion of the Cambodian-Vietnamese War.
The agreement was also heralded as bringing about the official end of Cambodia’s long civil war, though some have disputed that idea.
On the eve of the anniversary, about 20 women married to jailed politicians protested outside the French Embassy in Phnom Penh. As they called on authorities to respect the agreement, police responded harshly.
Still, some within Cambodia claim the commitments of the agreement have been realized — that includes the pro-government Khmer Times newspaper.
It cited government spokesman Phay Siphan, who asserted that peace has been maintained “under the wise leadership of (Prime Minister Hun Sen).”
“In other words, we have given power to the people, but not in a way to encourage people to demonstrate and curse the government on the streets,” Phay Siphan said.
That leaves a false impression, however, because the agreement’s promises of pluralism and true democracy are not the reality in Cambodia today.
LINK: www.polygraph.info/a/fact-check-cambodia-paris-peace-agreement/31528946.html
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