Here because of my recent trip to Siem Reap and fell in love with the country. The government's corruption is beyond outrageous

I lived and worked in Cambodia from 1998 to 2017 as an engineer with a Brit development org. Im married to a lovely Cambodian lady who suffered under Pol Pot. Prior to Cambodia I worked in 6 African countries (Nigeria, Zambia, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya & Lesotho) from 1969 to 1996. What I can say is that with all its problems Cambodia has and is developing better than any of the African countries I worked in.

Was in Cambodia for a while in 2018 and absolutely loved it, I had no idea this was all going on, sending love to the khmer people

Thanks for making this truthful and daring documentary about political situation in Cambodia. Luckily I have visited this country for three weeks of March 2018 my trip was part of my south east Asia tour but when I was in Cambodia somethings make my eyebrows rise. I have heard that Cambodia is poor country but from they way from Phnom Penh airport to city I saw a big show room of Harley and Davidson bikes which we don't have in Pakistan even in better economic conditions later I saw so many luxury cars which I have only seen in gulf countries before. Everywhere I went from markets to villages, from towns to jungle area I saw ruling party's banner in blue With hun sen.there I became friend of a guy who was doing Master's in IR and grandson of ruling party's MP. He was the only one I talk who was a pro hun Sen. But even he told me that how his one son control intelligence, one daughter control internet and other control investment board. Than he was saying that he knows he is extremely authoritarian but he wants him into power because he want peace in country. When I travel I do socialise with local people as much as I can and this is the best way to know a country. Cambodia was they only country where everyone ask me which country I'm from? What kind of govt or ruling system we have got? Do we have presidential or parliamentary system? And when they know that in Pakistan we are also going to have elections in July they ask are they free or not ? I always said free (although 2018 Pakistan election were massively rigged were first time army come into every polling station and throw out polling agents of political parties once counting have started)..i didn't know about role of Australia but people told me that hun sen can't travel to America and he and several party members got their assets freeze. People were very much looking forward for elections and enthusiastic although they new that they are going to be rigged. In Malaysia where elections were next month I didn't find people talking much about it.

Spent time in Cambodia, it's a beautiful country with great people, there are social issues and poverty ,the people are rich in culture and it really opened my eyes ,my wish for Cambodians is happiness and prosperity ,god bless them

Thanks for sharing this documentary.

I’m Cambodian, and this breaks my heart. 😭😭😭

My heart cries for this country. I love this nation even though I am not a khemer.

Sad! I have no words.

Disappointed in my Australian government. I’m currently travelling in Cambodia and learnt about the horrific past here and watched this to get an idea of what the current political situation is like. It makes me sad meeting these beautiful people still living in fear, they deserve better

Spent time in Cambodia. One encouraging sign is that everyone I saw had a smartphone. From tuk tuk drivers to day laborers, everyone was on their phones at night, either watching KZfaq or on Facebook.

As a citizen we can’t speak out or talk anything about government and politics otherwise we will end up in jail or arrest.

I went to cambodia at the start of the year for a week and all the people were nice and loving despite the pressure the government puts on their citizens.

As a Cambodian, I am tremendously sad to watch this video.

Not yet two minutes of this video, I'm almost tearful...

Thanks for telling. I love learning new stuff 🧘

Good video. Thanks for posting this.

I lived and worked in Cambodia for 12 years, and my wife is Khmer. Despite largely good intentions, I think the West made a mistake trying to impose democracy on a country that had no real tradition of democracy. I am loath to say it, but Cambodia may actually work better as a one-party state, and a one-party state is essentially what the majority of the country voted for at the last election. Khem Sokha might well have made a more benign and progressive leader than Hun Sen, but that ship has sailed and Cambodia is doomed to walk the path it has chosen. I love the country and its people, and I truly hope the future treats Cambodia kindly.

I from Cambodia and it's nice to understand everything they are saying

May God bless Cambodia people

I’m in a lot of pain watching this as a Cambodian

It broke my heart. Being so helpless to witness my beloved country fall into this circumstance.

I love Cambodia been there for 3 months in Phnom Penh in 2018. While there, I read a lot about their past in the hands of Khmer Rouge, it brought me tears. I want to revisit Cambodoa in Angkor Watt soon when pandemic is over.

I'm just sad to hear this because I'm part Cambodian. The world government is so messed up. My faith is in Christ and I can't wait for Him to come back for his people.

Thanks for the info. It’s all true what I heard from elders who told me.

Had the honor of meeting Mrs sochua a few years go when she came to Toronto. Very nice women ❤❤❤🙏🙏🙏

We, Indonesians, removed our authoritarian corrupt leader in 1998. Sadly, it was not without fights, riots and piles of corps. Also, like cancer, the regime supporters are still alive well, ready to sabotage progress toward a more democratic, clean and efficient government and to take over the country whenever they have opportunities. They have a powerful tool that they can and have used: religious sentiments. The battle is never ending.

Great video plz upload more

hi i'm Cambodian. and thank for speaking.

It is easy to understand this news . cambodia people thankful for the news . Cambodia people need more news.

1:36 when the dictator farts PRATT PRATT (No offense lol)

I would like to say thanks to ABC News that try to find many documents and real activity about the political situation in Cambodia for showing every one to know for Cambodian people or to the world.The name of a Khmer Nation.I really concern about the situation in Cambodia so much.I really want to see my country become a real democrocy,respect to the human right and peacful.

Thank you ABC

Australia permitted Hun sen's newphew (Hun To) Australian permanent resident. this person Hun To is the main person manufacturing ICE supplying cambodia and subsequently supplying Australian citizen. Shame on the Australian government.

Dr. Kem Ley's death is probably one of the saddest thing to ever happen in the decade and next to come for Cambodian people with thousands mourned his death. Many wish for a reform and changed region can only hope for someone who is brave enough to lead us before our motherland is destroyed.

I wish this story should be dubbed to local Khmer language so that more people who do not speak English could understand also.

Beautiful country and people. One day justice will be reveal

Heart breaking to hear that actually I’m Cambodian 😢🇰🇭🇰🇭🇰🇭

Kon Khmer should learn what is good and bad,what is right and wrong. Governments leaders are corrupt from bottom to the top in Cambodia. God bless all my innocent Khmer people.

This is my hometown am pretty mad about politics on my country but I still love my Hometown cambodia 🇰🇭

Hun Sen is known for his best tricks in politics among Cambodian folks, and he is so proud to commission all tricks in his "win win policy" among his so-called triangle development plan regardless of violating national constitution, jailing/killing critics, destroying the foundation of national institution, and the other brutal hardcore approaches and methods.

I wouldn't be surprised if she went missing

Great video

I hope that this is a lesson to the civilised world that you cannot force democracy. The thing about democracy is that it's a very strange system of government because it can be extremely fragile but it can also be extremely resilient - the difference between these extremes is the level of civic education (not just education but civic education) amongst voters. Cambodia is a country where the people were always led by someone, whether it was by a King or by the French imperialists or by the Khmer Rouge - they don't have in their minds that being a citizen means being an equal-part shareholder of the whole country, they don't have in their minds that being a citizen means being an owner of the country and they don't have in their minds that government is simply a management team that you the shareholder of the country hire to administrate the country. To people who don't have this concept in their mind, a government is "absolute", a government "rules" and the people "obey". This is a concept that you must first get rid of before you can estabish a solid democracy. It's not easy to establish this, it's not easy to drill into people's minds a sense of ownership - the the country, the lands, and all the riches of that land belongs to the citizen and not the government. Until a society can understand this and until this concept can be embedded into every citizen, democracy will be fragile and democracy would likely fail.

I lived Cambodia for almost 5 years i love the Cambodia people they were good to me i don't get involved in there politics it is up to them to change it same in every country in the world

When it comes to opened/free speeches, we face it more challenging to let everything about the reality out freely because we're not sure of the consequences we could face afterward.

After watching this my hands we’re shaking

Thank you

The 1986 EDSA revolution in the Philippines is not easy to be duplicated but I hope one day the people of Cambodia will experience a true Democracy, one that is free from intimidation,coercion,and deception....

This is outrageous, just what is really going in australia

i want to read English subtitle or Khmer Also can you do this for me and my Country .

im from cambodia thank for this video

I want international community help Cambodia from dictatorship under the Hun Sen regime

Lately so many stories about this corrupted government, and every time it's so sad to watch :-(

Good show thank for the video clips.

"I want my nation to have complete democracy, peace, and real development." - Kung Raiya. #I love this!!#How can I get in touch with KUNG RAIYA?!!

One problem with that. Too much emphasis on the exiled opposition leader. Get some more interviews with the educated locals. See what they have to say. Face blurring and voice distortion should be in the repertoire, no?

Bean to Cambodia many times...and the people are the sweetest people in the world..what there went thought in the 70s was so sad...there have come along ways....but now it's all about the government power money and control...it's time for a new government for the people...I wish and hope for a new Cambodia...I love cambodia.

Bravo Australia! Congratulations on your implicit hand in making it possible for this situation to continue and flourish. You should be proud!

I’m Cambodian I’m crying every day

Pot pot regime killed straight away, Hun Sen regime has killed step by step.

28:50 bruh I’ve been to that restaurant before we go there for breakfast everytime on the weekends

It's the Cambodians' problem, let the Cambodian deal with it. If the people really want things to change, they will stand up and do it themselves. Outsiders can't do much. If you always wait for the prince on a white horse to come to your rescue, nothing will ever change-- no one can save you forever. Lasting change comes from within.

Lives in Australia for 5 years: Doesn’t speak a proper word English. *Integration* 👍

Sad to see an ancient land with glorious history like Cambodia struggle but countries like Philippines who are recent in history growing very fast

Well, I remember the old day when Australia and other democracies supported the Pol Pot through the media, they told that no country has authorized to touch the politic in Cambodia even this country treated their citizen badly (Khmer Rouge killed nearly 2 mil of Cambodian that time). Now, they come back to Cambodia and ask for human rights. They should slap their face!

This video shows what's actually happened behind the scene.

CAMBODIA one of the best countries i been visiting !! beautifull kmer peoples !!!!!!!!!!

Young ppl must speak up. War is not an option for Cambodia.

i was very sad and disapppointed of my governement leaders. I expected that the international would not be far from us, i needed real democracy in my country, i'm not CNRP or CPP's person but i like fair!

Amazing

Didn’t know Cambodia and Australia had such a complicated relationship

those worker work for 12 hour a day and they earn only 150$ -200$ a month

Armed Rebellion is the key. When the Lon Nol regime came to power Khmers were against the regime. What happened next was history. The Khmer Rouge rebellion began and the Killing Fields was formed. To end this oppression of the Khmer people they need to start a new rebellion. I am not condoning the Khmer Rouge style as we would not want people like that to return to power in Cambodia. But armed rebellion is the only way to stop people like Hun Sen, his family and his cronies. Hun Sen arrests and assassinates those against him. So it is time to give them a taste of their own medicine. The Khmer people should not be afraid just as the Khmer Rouge rebels were not afraid to die for their cause. As Hun Sen arrests and assassinates his opponents so then the Khmers should start the same for his cronies. the leaders, the politicians, the Generals and Hun Sen himself. Do not harm the regular police and army, they are just regular people following orders, it is those giving the orders that need punished. In the 1970s Prince Sihanouk told the people to go to the mountains and forest and join the rebels and they did and in 5 years they overthrew the Lon Nol regime. The Khmer people can do this again to the Hun Sen regime.

I have lived in Cambodia for a year (Phnom Penh and Kampot), the country is under chinese influence, which drive the price of house, land, etc, by a lot (cause chinese will pay premium to buy and then drive price up for other foreigner who want to rent). What is going on is simple: chinese come to Cambodia ready to buy whatever at whatever price, then goverment chase local business out to replace by chinese who are willing to pay 3-4 time the actual price. This is happening in Kampot right now, a whole street in renovation (mega complex, with a casino) which result in a lot of local business-restaurant who have to relocate (no choice given, even tho u might own a building, government can and will chase u out if needed). Now, if u are a foreigner, living and working in Cambodia is quite easy. As long as u *lease*, u can run a restaurant and make decent living, and thx to the chinese price is going and will be going up by a lot in the near future. The problem lie with the locals. Average salary is around $100-150 per month in a restaurant, hotel, etc, long hours. This is the communist part, most jobs pay crazy low salary for locals. So what do a lot do? They drive Tuktuk (equivalent of taxi in Venezuela). They make more money driving tourist around, but there are so many Tuktuk and they are literally everywhere in big cities yelling at tourist to propose city tour and other, they are desperate. Tour company are also abundant, thief snatching bags at night, etc. So even tho locals are much poorer then in Thailand, price for foreigner is more expensive in Cambodia, due to chinese invasion and locals desperate to make a good living, this will end badly. It's not a very dangerous country for foreigner if u are not a newbie. I never feel unsafe there. And even tho went I was there I had the impression that there was a lot of tourist, Tuktuk driver keep telling me that the number of tourist is lower and lower every year. Probably true, and probably also that a lot of local can't survive on $100 a month so they quit and start selling street food or drive tuktuk to make double or triple what they would make in a *normal job*. It's not clear-cut to me overall if Cambodia is a dictatorship, communist, or else. It's a melting pot of a lot of things. One thing I know for sure is that most locals don't like their government. They were looking naively at the election as a way to change things. And also locals are still very hurt about the Polpot era, they are sad talking about the past. And I need to point out that locals are very nice people, it's not a violent country. Cambodia has a major corruption issue, and their government is not governing at all, rather doing nothing except trying to blind people mind with chinese contribution.

I don't think Cambodian activists living abroad understanding the word " intestest." Any big country such as Autralia if there is no "interest" they don't give your country(Cambodia) a damn for crying democracy.

Australia has to do what China said. If China loves the dictator, it will be hard for Australia to claim differently.

Cambodia is a great kingdom before. Thailand is part of their kingdom before. You can really see similarities. But now, cambodia progressed backward. 🙁

I had plans to go to Sihanoukville this month because of the heard of beautiful beaches....after researching online, I found out that the once quiet beautiful town is completely ruined by Chinese construction and development. The beaches are now dirty, with piles of garbage that stink, a lot of noise, and at night a lot of sleazy stuff going on. I changed my plans to stay in Siem Reap for a few days, then head back to Thailand to find better beaches. I'm glad my country's Foreign Minister Taro Kono called the recent elections disappointing and I hope Japan can put more pressure on fair elections in Cambodia. Anyway, I hope Cambodia can have a true free and democratic election and government someday and I hope to meet some wonderful Cambodian people in Siem Reap this week!

Someone, a local leader once said :"Democracy is the key to all forms of government. "

It really baffles me that such a respected and great country like Australia would let their government support such a leader like Hun Sen.

They are generally scared to speak out.

"We can't give away her location out of fear for her safety." *Slowly pans across apartment building's exterior*

So sad to see hopeless people

Wow, doesn’t anyone remember that Australia government was one of those which wanted to bring back the pol pot regime to Cambodia after being ousted by the Vietnamese, talk about irony

Stop the foreign aid, impose sanctions on the government, that will definitely help in some way

I an Australian living in Cambodia and so don't want to say too much. November 9th 2019. Sam Rainsy.

I remember almost all the things in this video and it is very strange now I am no longer in Cambodia there aren't things like this lol

I feel concerned about my country 😰

I need a new leader and I want to change.....🙏🙏🙏🇰🇭

what about People's Action Party?

So, this video remind: Hun Sen was the former commander of Khmer Rouge but then forget to say He, joined to liberate Cambodia from the Khmer Rouge Australia and the western countries helped to build the demoracy in Cambodia since 1990s but forget to say they also supported mainly the Khmer Rouge from 1978-1991. Whethet or not supporting Khmer Rouge from 1978-1991 would bring the democracy to Cambodia.

cambodians should unite and get rid of this criminal hun sen.. what a great report.

In modern day, he speaks as if he was a Kmer Rouge back then.

how much blood is on his hands. the people deserve better

Anybody see the way Gaddafi went out?

sad how any khmer can support a former khmer rouge member

He need to go..!!! Cambodia need USA and UK help ASAP

Im quite saddened by all of this and some comments agreeing on the government since we, being korean myself, have the very same tragic history in the 70's of South korea. People didnt realize how important this democracy was to them back then ,which made some of them actually believe they were better off as long as they were fed enough to get by as they had just got out of the poverty of the war and colony etc. But now we know unless all scumbags from the previous regime got cleaned up and liquidated this vicious circle will never end.

Just because you have elections does not make a country a democracy there are many things that constitute one.