On 9 March 2018, the New Mandala of the Australian National University, with the support of the Tifa Foundation, organized the Cambodia on the Brinks discussion in Canberra, Australia. The forum brought together scholars, political leaders and civil society to discuss the democratic challenges Cambodia is facing under Prime Minister Hun Sen's regime and consider possible ways forward for Cambodia.
In one of the panel discussions, speakers discussed how civil society organizations and media are adapting to the growing authoritarianism in Cambodia especially with the increasingly limited political space and the dissolution of the opposition National Rescue Party (CNRP).
The discussion featured Preap Kol from Transparency International Cambodia; Julia Wallace who is a journalist; Billy Chia-Lung Tai who is a human rights consultant, and Associate Professor Sango Mahanty from the Australian National University who led the discussion.
So, what is the space for civil society with the growing authoritarianism in Cambodia? And how does the media - as the fourth pillar of democracy - adapt to the current political conditions? You can follow this discussion through an audio recording that can be accessed on New Mandala's Soundcloud page at this link.