Khmer for Khmer - new political party ?

Anchor Moy · Post by **Anchor Moy** » Mon Dec 22, 2014 10:36 am

Does anyone know anything about this group ? They are not yet a political party, but that seems to be their aim. I don't know anything about them, but an alternative opposition party seems a good idea. However, I don't like the Khmer for Khmer bit - that's part of the other party's problem.

By Hul Reaksmey and Alex Willemyns | December 22, 2014

BATTAMBANG CITY – Forging ahead with a nationwide tour that it insists does not belie an intention to form a new opposition party, Kem Ley’s “Khmer for Khmer” collective touched down at a small university here Sunday declaring a desire to be an incubator for grassroots political action.

A high-profile political commentator, Mr. Ley created the advocacy group in late October and has since been traveling the country, introducing his team of civil society leaders to small crowds drawn by his growing status as a renegade willing to pour scorn on both of the country’s major parties. ...

....
Mr. Ley, who has been accused of harboring intentions to turn his network into his own party for the 2017 commune elections and the 2018 national election, said he is now set on expanding the pilot beyond just 25 communes.

“Our group will go to organize any commune that can form a party. If they say they can get 80 people to form a party, we will help them and discuss the legal procedures,” he said.

The event’s organizer, Meas Nee, from the Battambang-based Village Focus Cambodia NGO, said he believed in Mr. Ley’s vision for Khmer for Khmer.

“[People] always think that this group comes to gather forces so that they can vote for Kem Ley one day, but it’s not like that,” Mr. Nee said.

“We just want to help the people to do some small things in line with democratic principles, and to say, ‘If you don’t solve this problem, we will not vote for you, Mr. Commune Chief. If you are not re-elected, please don’t blame us.’”

https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/khme ... oad-74629/

StroppyChops · Post by **StroppyChops** » Mon Dec 22, 2014 1:24 pm

Shades of Thai for Thai there.

Anchor Moy · Post by **Anchor Moy** » Mon Dec 22, 2014 3:05 pm

StroppyChops wrote:Shades of Thai for Thai there.

Yep, that's it. Malaysia for the Malays etc ...
All that stuff can only stir up trouble.

OrangeDragon · Post by **OrangeDragon** » Tue Dec 23, 2014 6:17 am

StroppyChops wrote:Shades of Thai for Thai there.

Or Australia for Australians.

Anchor Moy · Post by **Anchor Moy** » Tue Dec 23, 2014 8:01 am

OrangeDragon wrote:
StroppyChops wrote:Shades of Thai for Thai there.
Or Australia for Australians.

No, in that case the equivalent would be Cambodia for Cambodians.

Khmer for Khmer suggests the exclusion of non-Khmer. IMO this encourages the dangerous "them and us" attitude, playing on the rejection of the "other", a tactic already used by the opposition.