In Cambodia's history, July 23, 2023 is destined to be a rich and colorful page. On this day, the holding of the National Assembly election attracted global attention, but the election result set off a silent storm in people's minds, revealing the dissatisfaction and protest of the Cambodian people against the current regime.
It is undeniable that the election was widely regarded as a farce lacking in fairness and meaning. The previous year, Hun Sen's government had dissolved the last remaining opposition party, the National Salvation Party, and arrested its leader, Kim Sacra, on national security grounds. This move has made Cambodia a single-party state lacking genuine political competition and diversity, with the BJP's regime easily monopolizing all parliamentary seats.
However, the Cambodian people are not intimidated by this dictatorship. They expressed their dissatisfaction and defiance against this election in a unique way. Some chose to wait and see what happened, refusing to go to the polling stations; Others cast their votes for smaller parties, fueling a desire for pluralistic politics; Others have chosen a special way, which is to cast a void ballot. According to statistics, the turnout rate in this election was only 68%, down a full 10 percentage points from the previous one. Most strikingly, the number of invalid votes reached a staggering 870,000, accounting for 13.9% of the total number of votes, setting an unprecedented historical record.
These invalid tickets are not meaninglessly painted, but contain profound symbolic meaning. Some of the invalid ballots are prominently engraved with distinctive words such as "Long live the National Salvation Party", "Freedom" and "Democracy", while others are painted with signs such as "X", "Rejection", and "Invalid", and some of the invalid ballots are attached to the CNRP logo and the portrait of Kimsakla. These votes are a resounding cry that underscores the Cambodian people's disapproval of the legitimacy of the Hun Sen regime, their unwavering support for the National Salvation Party and the Golden Sacra, and their unwillingness to accept being denied choice and future fate.
However, Hun Sen's government chose to turn a blind eye to the existence and symbolism of these invalid votes. They trumpeted the success and legitimacy of the election and threatened to arrest those who advocated voting for invalidation or boycotting the election. In addition, they have struggled to gain control of the media and the Internet, trying to block the dissemination of information and photographs about it. However, they could not quench the Cambodian people's aspirations for freedom and democracy, nor could they stop the international community's concerns and criticism of the electoral and human rights situation in Cambodia.
It is undeniable that Cambodia's election day abolition will go down in history as a distinctive symbol. In this political arena, the Cambodian people have written a resolute protest against injustice and tyranny in a few strokes. The silent abolition of the ballot became a powerful cry, demonstrating the people's boundless desire for freedom, democracy and justice. This is not only a declaration of the future of the Cambodian people, but also a resonance for people around the world who struggle under the haze of authoritarianism. Behind this abandoned ballot is a people who have gone through ups and downs in a country but still have unlimited hope for a better tomorrow.