A democracy cannot work without active democrats. Are there any matters to encourage people to be active democrats?

Below is the idea from the participant who joined online seminar to discuss about the Liberalism: 

Education is very potential thing all the people because when the people can understand their rights or freedom they can change the society. In order to provide a good education to people to understand about their rights, we should have simple ways of lesson for the grassroots people. If they understand well their rights or liberal, they can be catalysts to change the society. Can education as catalyst to promote people as active democrat?

Education motivates people to be a strong confident what they want to do. However economic status is very crucial for all the people, if their houses have nothing even rice to feed their children, do they pay their time to listen our lesson on Liberalism? If we don’t pay money for a day that they can earn, they will not attend the class this is in practice in Cambodia. I think, the economic and education shall be relied on each other that cause people to be active democrat.

I think the ways for reforming in the country is one part forward the people to get freedom but sometimes the reforming is way for leader to confiscate rights or freedom from the people. If the people don't understand rights to participate in the political affairs, everything still remains the same. In order for people to be active democrat, the people should understand about the basic of rights to participate to build the country.

Other than the knowledge of people, the independence judicial system is also vital column to guarantee implementation of people's right to be smoothly. It shall be separated from the political party. By the way, the media system is also important to play role to broadcast the real news for the people to know and it leads people to choose the best leaders as well.

Education is still a top one for improving the quality of reforming country from dictatorship to democratic regime. If the people have knowledge, they can change the regime easily. For example in USA, the American people like to read news and books. If they don't like their president, they will choose another one. This is a power of people's knowledge.

For the transitional period like in Cambodia, it takes times to improve everything including the characteristic of people thought as well. Some Cambodian people thought that if they choose new leader to manage the country they're afraid that the new one worse than the current one. The new leader might think his/her own benefit rather than the national interest. Cambodians didn't have much time to study because of the civil war since decades. In addition, they have traumatic disease still exist after the collapse of Khmer Rouge regime.   To reduce these matters, the education is the best way for improving people mindset.

I still think that the education is a core thing to promote the democracy in the society. Education is vital catalyst to motivate people to change the country. If people understand their rights they can commit to change the society through participation approach. For example, they go to vote or protest against dictator leader.

Furthermore, in Cambodia before United Nation Transitional Authority for Cambodia (UNTAC) came in 1992; the mob killing always happened around the country if it shouted that s/he was thief. Claiming rights had never been happened even they were not happy with the leader.

NGOs also existed since UNTAC arrived; they provided education to people about their rights. The knowledge can lead people to consider how to change the country to democratic way. As you may see, the people now in Cambodia, they always do demonstration against the government officials who abuse their rights. This is a result of education of people about their rights and liberalism.

If we look at the international instruments especially, Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) stated its preamble that the education measure relating people rights are core matter for state member in the world ".. Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms ..." 

Following UDHR, EU and ASEAN stipulated in its constitutional to protect HR through providing adequate civic education on rights, e.g ASEAN's charter needs all members shall act in accordance with the principles as stated in article 2 (2:h) "...the rule of law... principle of democracy..." Connecting with this issue, it established ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) to enhance public awareness of HR via education and capacity building for the effective implementation of HR treaties (ToR, AICHR, point 4). Education is vital thing to lead people to respect rights and it meets real democracy in the country.

As I mentioned above sentences that the education is a core one for people to understand their rights. Furthermore, the international instruments or Universal Bills of Human Rights (UDHR, ICESR, ICCPR…) and region’s charter of Africa, EU and ASEAN also stipulated the state parties shall be responsible to provide education and disseminate freedom and rights to their respective people. In order to protect people’s freedom, those instruments created mechanisms to solve the human rights violation at global (UN) and regional level.

Within the UN enforcement system, there are diverse organs, such as courts/tribunals, committees, special procedural mechanisms, working groups, rapporteurs, experts, and representatives.

Through these mechanisms convince people that work and fight peacefully for changing their regime by having adequate evidences to prove that they are walking on the right track. These mechanisms are playing major role in consolidating and promoting democracy.

Additionally, active democrats might also need the support from the global trend powerful country in permanent member of UN Security Council (UNSC) such as China, France, Russia, UK and USA for changing their dictatorship leaders. China and Russia are still communist countries that get benefit from authoritarian government such some countries in region of Arab, Africa, and Asia. Some leaders of those countries violate human rights, the members of UNSC still ignore.

In Syria case, the U.N. General Assembly on Feb 16, 2012 overwhelmingly approved a resolution demanding that Syria end its brutal 11-month crackdown on protesters and endorsing an Arab League plan for a political transition that would require President to yield some of his power. However China and Russia voted against resolution of UNSC to punish against Syrian leader. Even Syrians have obstructions from the powerful communist countries; they are trying their best to change their leaders to run on the way of democracy.

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Law Journal of Cambodia(LJC) is a non-political and independent team who volunteer working for disseminating laws and informaton regarding development and human rights situation in Cambodia. All comment or idea of LJC cannot be claimed in front of court and other purpose. LJC just provide ways for people to understand the context of law and other issues. LJC wants people to understand the law and live in peaceful means. If you need inquiry, please drop your e-mail to cambodianlawjournal@gmail.com. Welcome all comments on this blog
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