Cambodia Democracy > Aired 28 Dec 2005


Democracy is too often discussed as though it were something's opposite, as though it were a single, monolithic thing. For the next two weeks, we're sampling a limited series from the BBC based on an intriguing concept. Robin Lustig visits 5 different countries that are all nominally democracies, but whose versions of democracy barely resemble each other. We begin with Looking for Democracy: Cambodia

On this week's show we also hear a short documentary about Cambodian Landmines from UNICEF Radio

Next week...we follow Looking For Democracy to the Ukraine to hear about life after the Orange Revolution.

Comments

Dacia Herbulock said…
Thank you for your comments. I will admit that one of the hesitations I had about this series was the sense that the BBC's presenter is practicing something a bit too akin to "parachute journalism" here. He is trying to cover a great deal of subject matter (5 different countries' democratic systems) and trying to speak with an authoritative voice about these systems. But he doesn't convince me that he knows enough about the places he is visiting to speak with the authority he adopts. He is prone to dramatic statements and simplifications in the drive to make a point. I certainly hope that our listeners will take the time to look deeper into some of the issues you have raised.

I will point out, however, that the scope of this particular documentary was never intended to cover all of the historical events that you mention here. In this installment, Mr. Lustig is drawing a parallel between the ongoing attempts of the US to "impose democracy" in Iraq/Afghanistan and the failure of the UN to impose a working democratic system in Cambodia. There is a subtle criticism of the US and UK's actions that underlies this series. If you will note, the music you heard in the piece's opening coupled with the George Bush quote is actually the fairly cynical theme song of this series (and not something Listening Lounge added).
5:41 PM
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