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School of Vice: Unless I have missed anything, I have yet to learn of the Cambodian opposition party demands that peaceful demonstration and or freedom of assembly as provided for under the Constitution be respected by the ruling authorities. This is a fundamental democratic principle that deserves more attention from any genuine democratic platform. As such it is the responsibility and obligation of that camp to uphold and defend this principle, making it an integral factor in any political 'dialogue' and negotiation with the ruling party.
It is clear that these youth activists are not out to harm or injure anyone, to overthrow the state or to cause public disorder; they were not blocking any road traffic or inconveniencing members of the public, but merely to call attention to the looming environment threat with adverse consequences and implications for the entire nation. Conversely, the zero tolerance treatment meted out to these peaceful activists points disturbingly to the regime's blind refusal to accept and respect the citizenry's fundamental right as well as one of the central pillars of the democratic culture. In other words, in this seemingly isolated, random attack on public freedom of expression and gathering this regime continues to trample upon and violate the freedom of all, and this should provide the democratic camp with plenty of lead as to the regime's true leaning and character as reflected in what it acts and enacts in reality in conformity with its own need for political self-preservation and in mockery of any formal agreement reached between itself and those supposedly acting in behalf of the democratic will.
In the final analysis, even an independent and impartial NEC will not be certain guarantee that the democratic will of the electorate will be respected. To my knowledge, no ruling autocrat [including those with far less crooked pasts!] in recent history had ever voluntarily and peacefully relinquished political office/power merely through peaceful, constructive dialogue or mutual consensus. These mediums are usually resorted to as diplomatic ploys or as unavoidable instruments where the pursuit, and preservation of, political office and ruling power are felt to be sufficiently under mortal threat or come under uncontainable pressure and challenge from the opposing camp - normally after prolonged civil unrest, economic strife, international sanctions, or a combination of all these circumstances.
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