A Book Review - From Dictatorship to Democracy

[Perom Uch]

From: Buno Bun <bun...@gmail.com>
Date: Dec 31, 2005 11:46 PM

 

Book Review

 

 

From Dictatorship to Democracy

By Gene Sharp

Translated into Khmer by Senator Ung Bun-Ang

October 2005.

ISBN 1-880813-13-0

 

The book is basically about a strategy for change management which ought to be applicable in many circumstances, even though the book focuses solely on the political context from where it draws all basic experiences all over the world to back up its hypotheses.

 

At the time when fledging Cambodian democracy seems to sink further into a new low with the latest arrest of Cambodian Centre for Human Right chairman Kem Sokha, one could feel a sense of disgust and desperation sweeping among democrats everywhere, particularly in Cambodia. Before being taken away by the police, Kem Sokha appealed for calm and peaceful resolution to the issue. The frustration among those who care seems to be how to achieve a peaceful resolution that is long lasting.

 

A number of trials and errors for the democratization in Cambodia have seemed to fail. The armed conflicts between democrats and the government in the 80's that appeared to bring about a peace and democracy in the short run have not prevented an emergence of authoritarianism since the late 90's. Confrontational tactics embraced by political oppositions and other non-government organisations after the Paris Peace Accords 1991 that brought about some early success have become less and less effective. Many freedom and human rights activists have since been killed or thrown in jail with little consequences. Leader of opposition has been in exile for almost a year, and his prospect of returning appears ever remote.

 

Cambodia seems to need new ways of thinking and doing things, and the book, "From Dictatorship to Democracy" in Khmer recently released twelve years after the original version in English by Professor Gene Sharp, may encourage Cambodian democrats to think outside the square. It was ably translated into Khmer by Senator Ung Bun-Ang. While it may not be a complete panacea for the Cambodian chronic illness, the book certainly offers some different ways of thinking that many democrats ought to be seriously considering.

 

Professor Gene Sharp, after more than thirty year study of the issue, explains that moving from dictatorship to democracy is not an easy task, but it is not impossible either. The task for those who want to change is not only eliminating the dictatorship but also to ensure that it is not to be replaced by another form of dictatorship.

 

Professor Sharp argues that democracy is unlikely to be obtained though violence (including war and guerrilla war), negotiations, and foreign interventions. It can be, however, secured through political defiance or non-violent struggle involving the mass that will erode the power base of any organisation.

 

Based on the premises that any organisation has its very own weaknesses, the political defiance calls for a close examination to identify those weaknesses and devise strategic plans to exploit them.

 

The book argues that when there are enough public servants, military and police officers who are really the backbone of a regime withdrawing their services and cooperation, the regime will sooner or later falter. Withdrawing means slowing down or disrupting the regime's working mechanism through staying at home, taking unnecessary sick leave, working less efficiently, becoming less effective in their allocated tasks, etc… The book offers almost 200 ways of weakening the regime power base, a few of which have already been adopted in Cambodia.

 

Professor Sharp also calls for independent civil organisations to be effective in the whole society. Their roles are important in keeping and maintaining democracy in the long run. And their actions need to be well co-coordinated within a framework of similar goals.

 

Both versions, in Khmer and English, are available free of charge on www.aeinsten.org . For a hard copy in Khmer, it costs $10; (contact the translator at un...@melbpc.org.au ). All net proceeds from the sales of the Khmer version go to supporting some English classes for a number of young Khmers on Phnom Penh.

 

Bun Buno

January 1, 2006