A plaque honoring the achievements of former Prime Minister Hun Sen stands at the Win-Win Monument near Phnom Penh, Cambodia. (©Sankei by Tomo Kuwamura)
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"Under the wise leadership of the great commander, national reconciliation has progressed in Cambodia."
These words are inscribed in the Win-Win Monument, built in 2018 on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, the capital.
The text praises former Prime Minister Hun Sen as a hero who forged "peace" from the mass killings of the Pol Pot regime.
Monuments and Legacies
Facing the monument is the Morodok Techo National Stadium. "Techo" is Hun Sen's honorific title, meaning Supreme Commander. In recent years, a series of major facilities have adopted the Techo name, including the Techo International Airport and the Hun Sen Techo Canal.
"This is the Hun Sen family building a legacy to secure long-term hold on power," said Nop Vy, Executive Director at the Cambodian Journalists Alliance.
Hun Sen stepped down as prime minister in 2023 after nearly 40 years in office and became President of the Senate the following year.
He continues to hold significant power behind the scenes, with local sources noting that "his dictatorship is intensifying."
One-Party Rule, Tightening Grip
Despite professing democracy, Cambodia remains a de facto one-party dictatorship under the ruling Cambodian People's Party.
The regime dissolved opposition parties that had made significant gains in the 2017 local elections and barred them from participating in the 2023 general election. This authoritarian trend continues under the current government led by Hun Manet, the eldest son of former Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Hun Manet assumed office in 2023.
Media Under Threat
Media critical of the government are facing an existential crisis.
Chhan Sokunthea, executive director of the Cambodia Center for Independent Media, an NGO supporting independent journalism, said, "Crackdowns on journalists have intensified, and there are almost no media outlets left that dare to address issues sensitive to those in power."
In 2024, a prominent Cambodian journalist who had reported on collusion between criminal organizations running online scams and influential figures was arrested on charges of allegedly inciting social unrest.
The journalist later released an "apology video" and withdrew from reporting. Many observers believe the video was taped under duress.
China's Shadow and Digital Authoritarianism
Authoritarian rule in Cambodia is accelerating, fueled in part by China, which exports its "governance model" through the massive Belt and Road Initiative.
Alongside telecommunications networks and surveillance technology, China provides integrated control tools, such as internet censorship, spreading what has been called "digital authoritarianism."
In Cambodia, Chinese companies have constructed telecommunications networks and installed surveillance cameras connected to artificial intelligence. Reuters reported that similar technologies have been deployed in over 50 countries participating in the initiative.
Cambodia has also announced plans to introduce a system similar to China's internet censorship apparatus, the "Golden Shield Project." Although the plan was postponed following criticism, the country's shift toward Chinese-style governance remains evident.
"Hun Sen is a pragmatic leader," said Professor Hiroshi Yamada of Niigata International University.
"While his interests often align with China, he also sees excessive pro-China leanings as problematic. Recently, Hun Sen has moved closer to the United States, which played a key role in securing a ceasefire in the border dispute with Thailand."
Yamada added, "Hun will likely leverage whatever he can, whether Beijing or Washington, to achieve his top priority of maintaining the Cambodian People's Party regime and his family's rule."
Declining Western Influence
The dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) under the Trump administration has further weakened Cambodia's increasingly restricted media landscape.
Independent outlets supported by USAID's "democracy protection" programs have simultaneously faced funding shortfalls worldwide, with the Cambodia Center for Independent Media losing half its budget.
The Trump administration also decided to scale back Voice of America and Radio Free Asia, US government-funded outlets that cover issues in authoritarian states.
Chhan expressed concern, saying, "It's an unfavorable trend that Western aid, which prioritizes democracy and human rights, is decreasing while China's influence grows."
She also voiced worries about her organization's ability to continue its work going forward.
Authoritarianism on the Rise?
As a reflection of Beijing's growing influence, authoritarianism is on the rise worldwide.
According to a 2025 report by the independent democracy research institute V-Dem in Sweden, the number of authoritarian states worldwide has reached 91, surpassing the 88 democratic nations for the first time in over 20 years.
The share of the global population living in democracies has correspondingly fallen to its lowest level in the past 50 years. More than 5.8 billion people — over 70% of the world's population — now live under authoritarian regimes.
Amid waning American influence and the spread of China's governance model, Chhan warned: "If Chinese-style authoritarianism takes hold, the space for free speech will shrink further. Can a country that does not uphold human rights and democracy have a future?"
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Author: Tomo Kuwamura, The Sankei Shimbun
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