Advocacy in Cambodia: Increasing Democratic ... - Pact Cambodia

collection of information on public opinion to
apply pressure on policy makers. This strategy is
only effective when policy makers are accountable
to the public.
Public opinion polls proved to be central to
the Commune Council Election Law (CCEL)
lobbying. Since the CCEL advocacy campaign was
initiated by EMOs (which do not have as strong
grassroots support as some community
development organizations), it was imperative to
demonstrate public support for the initiative in
order to gain legitimacy in the eyes of lawmakers.
As mentioned earlier, public endorsement of the
direct electoral system was so strong that it
surprised even those organizing the polls. Indeed,
EMOs that had initially harbored doubts as to the
need for a direct electoral system were convinced
by poll results. Although campaign objectives were
not attained in the end, EMOs have clearly
understood the importance of public opinion polls
as an advocacy tool in increasing the strength of a
campaign, unifying advocates, and providing
legitimacy for campaign issues.
Public opinion polls are useful for gaining
insight into people’s knowledge, attitudes, and
behavior. They are also a useful method for
bringing difficult topics to the attention of the
mainstream public and government officials.
Although not profiled in this report, the Center
for Social Development’s survey on corruption was
pivotal in bringing the word ‘corruption’ out into
the arena of public debate.
In addition to public opinion polls, petitions
and letters of complaint provide another method
for demonstrating public support (or displeasure)
for a policy change. These are more common at
the local level and can be initiated by a community
or by an NGO. In the provinces where Star
Kampuchea has established advocacy networks,
NGOs assist with preparation of petitions and
liaise with provincial authorities. Petitions are
addressed to provincial authorities, line
departments, or parliamentarians. According to
development workers working in Kompong Thom
and Kompong Cham, petitions sent to provincial
officials do not usually result in action, but they
do serve the purpose of bringing
people’s grievances to their attention
and are important in the
documentation process. Regardless of
the short-term effect of petitions and
complaints, in the case of community
fisheries it is clear that the deluge of
complaints sent to the Prime Minister,
combined with demonstrations in
front of the National Assembly, were
at least partly responsible for the
Prime Minister’s decision to reduce
private fishing concessions.
Raising Awareness and Concern
In order for information dissemination to be
effective, it needs to be accompanied by
awareness-raising activities that can include
education campaigns, workshops, and media
strategies. Education activities such as workshops
and outreach programs help to inform vulnerable
groups of their rights, how they are being abused,
and what remedies are available. For example,
education has been effective in teaching forest
communities that, according to a 1988 law, no one
has the right to fell resin trees that are being
tapped by local villagers. Rights education is the
reason that commercial sex workers have the
courage to descend upon police stations in groups
when one of their colleagues has been illegally
detained. Another important form of awarenessraising
is education for government officials and
the military. Since the early 1990s, a number of
human rights NGOs have conducted training and
follow-up activities with the police, military, and
judiciary.
Celebration of special events such as
International Women’s, HIV/AIDS, Human
Rights, and Children’s Days are another form of
public education that has become very popular
among NGOs. Most events involve high-ranking
officials, NGO leaders, and members of the public
gathering for speeches, marches, and other
activities, with the main purpose being to raise
consciousness about specific issues. One example
is the 16-day campaign against violence against
women organized each year in November and
December.
Once the attention of mainstream society has
been drawn to an issue, however, the effectiveness
of a special event diminishes. As this occurs, some
NGOs have shifted the focus of the events from
Phnom Penh to the provincial towns where there
is less awareness of particular issues. Additionally,
the government has incorporated these types of
events into their regular activities, so there is a
An illegally cut resin
tree in Kratie
province. According
to a 1988 law, no
one has the right to
cut resin trees that
are being tapped by
local villagers.
Increasing Democratic Space
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