Leadership in Local Politics of Cambodia: A Study of ... - CDRI

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have clear ideas of how a good leader should behave and are ready to share their opinion as to
whether the current system improves or retards local leadership.
Perceptions of the Poor (the Majority)
The majority of families in each of the three communes fell into the category of poor. These
families relied on a mixture of livelihoods, including labouring, exploitation of natural
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a recent survey by UNESCO and UNDP that found 64 per cent of Cambodian adults illiterate
or semi-literate (NIS 2006: 104). Of course, there are important gradations of wealth and status
within this category; however, we grouped this category on the hypothesis that they have
similar opportunities and constraints in engaging with local politics. They had a less critical
perspective on the local political atmosphere, although some had learned who the village chiefs
and commune chiefs were.
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Perceptions of the Vulnerable
The third economic category was the poorest or most vulnerable groups, who put almost all of
their attention on their survival because they barely make ends meet. They possess almost no
land and often sell their labour for food. When there is no work, they get together in groups,
playing cards, chatting or drinking alcohol. This group knows only the village chief and has
extremely little knowledge about the commune council. In one of the two studied villages, 12
families were found to be very vulnerable yet were basically unnoticed.
As you see, we are very poor and we need help. Sometimes we do not bathe for a week
because we do not have a well and the neighbours discriminate against us because we are
too poor and dirty. No NGO has come to assist us, and we do not know where and who
to seek help from. It is extremely hard for us. (Villager, commune B, 12-family group
conversation with researchers, 5/6/2008)
The councils tend to ignore such groups and do not want information about them to be leaked
to outsiders. While councils cannot do much to improve this situation given the meagre CSF,
they appeared to be fearful that knowledge of such miserable conditions would harm their
reputation and legitimacy with their parties and outsiders. In the initial meeting with our
research team, the commune chief was defensive, stating that the well-being of the people is
generally acceptable and not mentioning the case of the 12 families. “In this commune, only
a few families in each village are quite poor; the majority are broadly living in appropriate
conditions” (commune chief, commune B, interview, 5/6/2008).
Perceptions of Ethnic Chinese and Other Minorities
A look into the ethnic Chinese poses some sharp contrasts to the destitute group above. In our
sample, ethnic Chinese tended to ignore the local political issues.
CDRI
We live happily here, and there is no problem with our lives. The village and commune
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them. (Chinese family, A9, commune A, response to survey, 20/3/2008)
However, there were some frustrations among another group. These were people who had been
abandoned socially, mainly because they had joined the opposition party. Such families are