Approximately
4.7 million voters registered for Cambodia’s
UN-run national assembly elections in 1993. Of
these, an estimated 96% actually
voted on Election Day.
Approximately 5.4 million voters registered for Cambodia’s
national assembly elections in 1998, run by the Cambodian
National Election Committee (NEC). Of these, an estimated
94% voted on Election Day.
Cambodia held its first ever local elections in 2002.
Some 11,261 councilors representing 1,621 communies/sangkat
councils were elected. Of these, 8.5% are female and
10.2% are ethnic minorities.
The Commune/Sangkat Council Administration Act gives
the commune/sangkat council a power to manage “local
affairs,” including appointment and replacement
of village chiefs under the council’s jurisdiction.
However, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) has yet to
issue a policy instruction on how village chiefs
are appointed
and replaced.
Approximately 6.3 million voters registered for Cambodia’s
national assembly elections in 2003. Of these, more
than 80 percent voted on Election Day.
Access to information was an important issue during the
election campaign. USAID supported the first ever televised
debates for the 2003 National Assembly elections. This
provided an unprecedented opportunity for Cambodians
to hear various view on relevant issues. It also provided
opportunities to meet candidates and discuss concerns.
Cambodia is a signatory to most international human rights
conventions, including the Child Rights Convention and
International Labor Organization Convention 182 against
the worst forms of child labor. However, reports by national
and international human rights organizations have documented
human rights problems in these and other areas.
Legal aid providers are now winning path-breaking human
rights cases in the conviction of human traffickers,
restoring land titles taken from indigenous tribes, and
freeing union leaders imprisoned on false charges.
According to the International Organization for Migration
(IOM), an estimated 88,000 – 100,000 Cambodians
had migrated to Thailand without having legal status.
Many of these are believed to be working under slavery-like
conditions.
Thai authorities officially acknowledge that at least
500 Cambodian children live and work in the streets of
Bangkok. Many of these migrant children are subjected
to frequent deportation by Thai immigration police, thus
entering a cycle of being trafficked and re-trafficked
over and over again between the Cambodian border town
of Poipet and Bangkok and other Thai major cities.
Current estimates suggest that up to 20,000 sex workers
live in Cambodia. Some 60 percent have been forced to
work as prostitutes or have been deceived into prostitution.
Trafficking in persons--especially women and children--remain
as one of the major human rights violations in Cambodia.
An Asia Foundation report indicates that one in four
women in Cambodia is a victim of domestic violence. The
debate on the draft Anti-Domestic Violence Act has been
stalled at the national assembly floor since early 2003.
Cambodia's garment industry employs approximately 200,000
workers, over 75% of whom are women. The industry is
now Cambodia’s biggest foreign currency, earning
up to 90% of the country’s export income. There
are 340 unions in 200 garment factories. Over 40% of
these factories have active trade unions. Labor unions
are divided into activist, government or management-controlled.
Activist unions run by young leaders (23-35 years old)
work under difficult circumstances but are increasingly
vocal, pushing for compliance with the labor law challenging
both government and employers.
Cambodia has a generally sound and comprehensive framework
for its labor law. In spite of this, there is concern
over of a general lack of capacity to prevent, resolve
and settle an increasing number of labor disputes mainly
due the weak enforcement of these laws. In recent years,
some of these disputes have escalated and cases of violence
and destruction of property have been reported. The Labor
Arbitration Council came into operation in May 2003.
The following year, USAID provided support to the Council
to help provide credible and impartial arbitrations.
There are an increasing number of outspoken parliamentarians
in the national assembly and in its various standing
committees. However, their influence over draft law and
the government policy remains limited.
Corruption is a significant problem in Cambodia and is
deeply rooted in the society. According to a study conducted
in 1998 by a local NGO, 84% of respondents believed that
bribery is the normal way of doing things. Millions of
dollars are believed to be lost each year on account
of corruption and smuggling. |
