VZCZCXRO6943
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHPF #0521 2080930
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 270930Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0987
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS PHNOM PENH 000521 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KJUS PREL EAID CB
SUBJECT: US-FUNDED YOUTH DEMOCRACY FESTIVAL DRAWS THOUSANDS TO 
KAMPONG CHAM. 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY:  The United States Agency for International Development 
(USAID) and the International Republican Institute (IRI) held an 
annual Youth Festival in Kampong Cham July 18 - 19 drawing thousands 
of participants.  The festival, a combination of seminars, 
performances and information booths, began in 2006 with the purpose 
of promoting democracy and good governance practices to the next 
generation of Cambodian leaders.  This festival yielded the largest 
turnout ever, with over 69,000 youth participating in the 
festivities and attending seminars and training sessions on topics 
ranging from effective petitioning to public speaking.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  The opening ceremony featured speeches by Deputy Governor of 
Kampong Cham, Ms. Khoun Sun Eng, and Acting Head of USAID's Office 
of General Development, Paul Randolph.  Mr. Randolph spoke about 
youth determining the future of Cambodia while Ms. Sun Eng spoke of 
"controlled democracy" and made references to the threat of 
"anarchy" arriving from civil disorder. (NOTE:  In recently 
published speeches, Prime Minister Hun Sen and several Deputy Prime 
Ministers have expressed similar sentiments about the threat of 
"anarchy" and the need for "rule of law". END NOTE.) 
¶3.  Dozens of active volunteers from the Youth Council of Cambodia 
were visible throughout the weekend inviting festival-goers into 
their booths, running competitions, and leading training sessions 
with noticeably high levels of participation.  Several NGOs also 
participated in the event, covering a wide range of topics such as 
civil participation strategies (including running a commune council 
meeting and effective petitioning), as well as public speaking and 
gender equality.  Information booths covered additional topics such 
as reproductive health and the history of the Khmer Rouge.  Beauty 
and singing competitions included educational components as 
contestants had to pass a Cambodian civics test in order to be 
eligible to participate. 
 
¶4.  One booth that drew the attention of many festival- goers was 
the debate booth.  Teams of three were pitted together throughout 
the weekend to present their ideas on how to address topics of 
concern to Cambodian youth.  Participants were given an allotted 
amount of time to speak to the audience as well as the opportunity 
to ask a follow-up or rebuttal question to the opposing team. 
Audience members then voted on the best team (votes were publically 
tallied as an example of voting transparency), which was allowed to 
advance to the next round. 
 
¶5.  Later-round participants of the debates illustrated their depth 
of knowledge related to the topic of domestic abuse when one of the 
debaters specifically linked it to lack of education, poor living 
standards, and alcohol and drug abuse.  An opposing team member 
stated that to effectively combat domestic abuse, living standards 
needed to be improved and job opportunities needed to be increased. 
The participant stated that domestic violence should no longer be 
seen as a family affair and that it required a community response. 
The need to promote gender equality along with the idea that women 
can contribute to society as well as to the family was also 
expressed by the young participants. (NOTE:  Domestic violence is of 
particular concern in Cambodia.  In 2005, Minister of Women's 
Affairs Ing Kantha Phavi cited the statistic that one in four women 
in Cambodia is physically abused by her husband.  Today, the 
statistic she cites is one in three. END NOTE.) 
 
¶6.  Evening activities combined performances by top-line Cambodian 
pop stars Khemarak Sereymon, Sokun Nisa, Chhon Sovanareach and Meas 
Soksophea with additional presentations ranging from student-led 
performances based on topics such as violence and education, to the 
finals of the festival's singing contest. On the last evening, 
prizes were presented to the winners of other earlier competitions. 
Recent cast members of the Youth Leadership Challenge (a 
USAID-funded television show that tests the leadership and debating 
skills of young men and women from around the country), along with 
its most recent winner Chhem Pe, were also present throughout the 
weekend.  Mr. Pe gave a speech on the value of education. 
 
¶7.  COMMENT:  Young attendees were enthusiastic about their role in 
shaping the future of Cambodia.  They openly discussed the 
challenges facing Cambodia, naming quality of education, inadequate 
law enforcement, and the decline of morality among youth as specific 
areas of concern.  A standard request from attendees throughout the 
weekend was to expand the festival to other provinces.  Young 
participants stated their intent to become involved in Cambodian 
policy-making, civil society, and the education and health sectors. 
Such positive responses demonstrate a certain level of progress in 
creating demand for improved governance and laying the groundwork 
for governance reform.  The Youth Festival also highlighted the 
growing reality of greater youth involvement in Cambodia's 
political, economic, and social development.  END COMMENT 
 
Rodley