Pitour Sok is the Voices for Change Progamme Manager at Oxfam in Cambodia. He works as part of Oxfam’s ReCIPE (ReCentering the Civic Internet through Partner Engagement) project, co-funded by the European Union. Here, he speaks about the situation in Cambodia.
"Under the ReCIPE project in Cambodia, we focus mainly on building the capacity of Cambodian people, especially young people, and staff of civil society organisations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). We build their capacity in areas such as leadership and advocacy, digital literacy, policy engagement and strengthening personal competencies and institutional effectiveness to drive meaningful change etc.”
“In Cambodia, about 60% of the population has internet access, while 40% does not. However, social media usage, especially Facebook, is higher, with around 72% of the population accessing it via mobile phones.”
The need for digital rights in Cambodia is growing, especially as the government pushes for a more digitized government and online public services.
“The government of Cambodia is actively promoting a digital government, aiming to move services online, particularly through their Facebook page. This shift creates exclusion of those without internet connection while exposes those connected to digital vulnerabilities.”
“Digital illiteracy affects about 70% of the population with seven in ten people struggling to navigate the internet safely. This leaves them vulnerable to scams, hacking, and breaches of data privacy. That’s why we emphasise both digital literacy and digital rights. When the government shifts from traditional systems to digital platforms, people must understand their rights online.”
Pitour speaks of the rapidly changing online landscape, with artificial intelligence (AI) making deciphering real from fake content more difficult than ever.
“Cambodia currently lacks laws on cybercrime. They are still in the process of being drafted. Through our partners, we engage with the government and tech companies for laws that safeguard privacy in line with international human rights standards. We try to have the voice of the users included.”
Pitour considers the link between digital rights and democracy.
“It depends on the political situation in the specific country, or the ‘civic space.’ What we can see change dramatically in Cambodia is previously, people mobilised in person. Now, people can mobilise online.”
Oxfam in Cambodia partners with the Cooperation Committee for Cambodia (CCC) to provide training on digital security and rights. Participants learn how to post responsibly online, create and set strong passwords and critically assess information to distinguish between real and fake content.
“We work with NGO staff because their role in amplifying the voices of vulnerable groups makes them more exposed to digital risks. A survey conducted by our partner, involving around 90 NGO workers, found that 90% had experienced digital violence including cyber threats, bullying, harassment, and intimidation.”
“We work with young people because of their digital access and media literacy especially the content creators. It’s encouraging to see youth contributing to society and social justice by producing content that is both safe and accessible to others.”
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"Under the ReCIPE project in Cambodia, we focus mainly on building the capacity of Cambodian people, especially young people, and staff of civil society organisations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). We build their capacity in areas such as leadership and advocacy, digital literacy, policy engagement and strengthening personal competencies and institutional effectiveness to drive meaningful change etc.”
