By David Oppetit - 2018

The different sequences were recorded in and around Phnom Penh (Cambodia) during the "presidential" election period; Day & night. From June 2017 to Jully 2018.

The result is a particular dynamic, a certain sleepiness in places, a crowd, sirens, helicopters in others.

We have here a certain documentary part: last demonstration of the opposition party before is total prohibition and the putting in prison of its leaders, until the counting of the ballot papers. These documents represent for me an important aspect of the evolution and the recent political organization of this country. This election, in the end, was widely and internationally criticized.

The resulting editing is sometimes dry, while breaking. The erent dogs are all around. Sirens, dogs, walkie talkies, television are just as many sound objects that allow me to enter a more musical aspect of the composition.

No revolution or "Cambodian spring" this time. As a drowsiness and as a kind of incomprehention, a chain of events and rooting that nothing seems to shake.

Confrontation with the police in Mexico City this 13th of september 2013, after a mass eviction of the teachers who where in the Zocalo (main place of Mexico City).

Sound recorded in front of the 'BELLAS ARTES' monument.

Recorded by a binaural setup: 2 x SANKEN COS11D and an andy recorder Olympus.

Recorded by Felix Blume

Recorded by Joel Cahen in Haifa from the balcony on a summer's day of war sirens and bombs launched from the Hizbullah in Lebanon. Recorded the 29.07.2006 14:20

"Recording includes my mother and me stressing out over my brother, who chose to work in a cafe that afternoon, and my dying father in the background. A recording which represents my very emotional and life changing summer of 2006."

The 2006 Lebanon War, also called the 2006 Israel–Hezbollah War and known in Lebanon as the July War (Arabic: حرب تموز‎, Ḥarb Tammūz) and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War (Hebrew: מלחמת לבנון השנייה‎, Milhemet Levanon HaShniya), was a 34-day military conflict in Lebanon, Northern Israel and the Golan Heights. The principal parties were Hezbollah paramilitary forces and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The conflict started on 12 July 2006, and continued until a United Nations-brokered ceasefire went into effect in the morning on 14 August 2006, though it formally ended on 8 September 2006 when Israel lifted its naval blockade of Lebanon. Due to unprecedented Iranian military support to Hezbollah before and during the war, some consider it the first round of the Iran–Israel proxy conflict, rather than a continuation of the Arab–Israeli conflict.

The conflict was precipitated by the 2006 Hezbollah cross-border raid. On 12 July 2006, Hezbollah fighters fired rockets at Israeli border towns as a diversion for an anti-tank missile attack on two armored Humvees patrolling the Israeli side of the border fence. The ambush left three soldiers dead. Two Israeli soldiers were abducted and taken by Hezbollah to Lebanon. Five more were killed in Lebanon, in a failed rescue attempt. Hezbollah demanded the release of Lebanese prisoners held by Israel in exchange for the release of the abducted soldiers. Israel refused and responded with airstrikes and artillery fire on targets in Lebanon. Israel attacked both Hezbollah military targets and Lebanese civilian infrastructure, including Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport. The IDF launched a ground invasion of Southern Lebanon. Israel also imposed an air and naval blockade. Hezbollah then launched more rockets into northern Israel and engaged the IDF in guerrilla warfare from hardened positions.

The conflict is believed to have killed between 1,191 and 1,300 Lebanese people, and 165 Israelis. It severely damaged Lebanese civil infrastructure, and displaced approximately one million Lebanese and 300,000–500,000 Israelis.

On 11 August 2006, the United Nations Security Council unanimously approved United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 (UNSCR 1701) in an effort to end the hostilities. The resolution, which was approved by both the Lebanese and Israeli governments the following days, called for disarmament of Hezbollah, for withdrawal of the IDF from Lebanon, and for the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces and an enlarged United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the south. UNIFIL was given an expanded mandate, including the ability to use force to ensure that their area of operations was not used for hostile activities, and to resist attempts by force to prevent them from discharging their duties. The Lebanese Army began deploying in Southern Lebanon on 17 August 2006. The blockade was lifted on 8 September 2006. On 1 October 2006, most Israeli troops withdrew from Lebanon, although the last of the troops continued to occupy the border-straddling village of Ghajar. In the time since the enactment of UNSCR 1701 both the Lebanese government and UNIFIL have stated that they will not disarm Hezbollah. The remains of the two captured soldiers, whose fates were unknown, were returned to Israel on 16 July 2008 as part of a prisoner exchange. (Wiki)

Recorded by David Oppetit in Phnom Penh Cambodia on July 29, 2018 during the counting of ballot papers in the public square. The word that comes up most often in the recording is the "number 20" corresponding to the number of the CPP on the list, finally left elected more than 80% of the votes.

General elections 2018 (Khmer: ការបោះឆ្នោតជ្រើសតាំងតំណាងរាស្ត្រ នីតិកាលទី៦ ឆ្នាំ២០១៨) were held in Cambodia on Sunday, 29 July 2018 to elect members of the sixth National Assembly. Polling precincts opened at 7:00 a.m. and closed at 3:00 p.m. The number of registered voters has decreased for the first time since 1993 and was down 13.39% from the previous general election. Voter turnout was 83.02%. It was a landslide victory for the ruling Cambodian People's Party, who won all 125 seats in the National Assembly.

The legitimacy of the 2018 election has been called into question by various commentators and media outlets. There were a record number of invalid ballots, accounting for 8.6% of the total votes cast, more than any votes received by a political party barring the CPP. Various international governments including Australia, Canada, the European Union, and the United States dismissed the election results, and threatened to impose sanctions on Hun Sen's government. China, the Philippines, Laos and Thailand were among the countries to congratulate the CPP on their victory. (Wiki) Photo: / Mak Remissa / EPA /MaxPPP

Recorded by David Oppetit in binaural. October 2016 in Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

Bhumibol Adulyadej (Thai: ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; RTGS: Phumiphon Adunyadet; 5 December 1927 – 13 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great in 1987, was the ninth monarch of Thailand from the Chakri dynasty as Rama IX. Reigning since 9 June 1946 he was, at the time of his death, the world's longest-reigning head of state, the longest-reigning monarch in Thai history and the longest-reigning monarch having reigned only as an adult, reigning for 70 years, 126 days. During his reign, he was served by a total of 30 prime ministers beginning with Pridi Banomyong and ending with Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Forbes estimated Bhumibol's fortune – including property and investments managed by the Crown Property Bureau, a unique body that is neither private nor government-owned (the assets managed by the Bureau are owned by the crown as an institution, not by the monarch as an individual) – to be US$30 billion in 2010, and he headed the magazine's list of the "world's richest royals" from 2008 to 2013. In May 2014, Bhumibol's wealth was once again listed as US$30 billion.

After 2006, Bhumibol suffered declining health and spent extended periods at Siriraj Hospital, where he died on 13 October 2016. He was generally highly revered by the people in Thailand – many even saw him as close to divine. Notable political activists and Thai citizens who criticized the king or the institution of monarchy were often forced into exile or to suffer frequent imprisonments. Yet many cases were dropped before being proceeded or were eventually given royal pardon. His cremation was held on 26 October 2017 at the royal crematorium at Sanam Luang.

His successor, Vajiralongkorn, does not share his popularity, leading to concerns that the Thai monarchy will lose prestige and influence under the latter's reign.

Photo AFP

Composition by David Oppetit based on archives and field recording made today. The archives (in french) are taken from an audio guide played in Tuol Sleng " S 21".

Wiki:

The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (Khmer: សារមន្ទីរឧក្រិដ្ឋកម្មប្រល័យពូជសាសន៍ទួលស្លែង) is a museum in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, chronicling the Cambodian genocide. The site is a former high school which was used as Security Prison 21 (S-21) by the Khmer Rouge regime from its rise to power in 1975 to its fall in 1979. Tuol Sleng (Khmer: ទួលស្លែង) means "Hill of the Poisonous Trees" or "Strychnine Hill". Tuol Sleng was just one of at least 150 execution centers established by the Khmer Rouge, though other sources put the figure at 196 prison centers. On July 26, 2010, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia convicted the chief of Tuol Sleng Prison, Kaing kek Iew, (alias Duch) for crimes against humanity and grave breaches of the 1949 Geneva Conventions and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

Rally of CNRP opposants in Phnom Penh for the communal elections. Recorded by David Oppetit in binaural in 2017.

The Cambodia National Rescue Party, commonly abbreviated as CNRP, (Khmer: គណបក្សសង្គ្រោះជាតិ, Khmer pronunciation: [kuə̯n paʔ sɑŋkruəh ciət], literally: "Party of Rescuing the Nation") was a major political party in Cambodia. It was founded in 2012 as a merger between the Sam Rainsy Party and Human Rights Party.

The party believed in the strengthening of freedom and human rights, institution of free and fair elections, and defending Cambodia's "national integrity". It became the sole challenger to the Cambodian People's Party after the 2013 election. Its official motto was "rescue, serve, protect" (Khmer: សង្គ្រោះ បម្រើ ការពារ) and the logo for the CNRP is the rising sun.

Party leader Kem Sokha was arrested in September 2017 after which the party was in danger of being dissolved, allegedly for being part of a foreign plot to overthrow Prime Minister Hun Sen. The case was heard by the Supreme Court which is headed by Chief Justice Dith Munty, a member of the CPP's permanent committee.

On 16 November 2017, the Supreme Court of Cambodia ruled to dissolve the CNRP. As a result of the ruling, all CNRP office holders, including 489 commune chiefs and 55 MPs, will lose their positions and their seats allocated to other parties. Additionally, 118 senior party official were banned from politics for five years. About half the party’s former MPs, including its vice president Mu Sochua, had already fled Cambodia before October out of fear of arrest by the ruling party. The forced dissolution of the party prompted condemnation and calls to reverse the decision from the international community. (Wiki)