Shrinking Spaces

Indonesia, like its neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia, has a long history of student activism; from the participation of indigenous and Islamic students to end Dutch colonial rule and a wave of protests in the 1970s against corruption, student movements became a strong force in Indonesia’s democracy. With the changing landscape of technology has also come a shift in how students and youth in Indonesia become politically engaged.

The prose of Indian poet Haripriya Soibam describes youth's struggle to preserve and promote democracy. Read her five poems for "Young voices on the rise - Youth and democracy in the Asia-Pacific region".

CSOs in Cambodia have had to maneuver in an increasingly repressive environment, but the challenges and failures that they have had to face thus far have led to important reflections and learnings.

This dossier provides a diverse selection of strong civil society voices from Cambodia. We hope that the analyses and contributions included will lead to a better understanding of the results, impacts and successes of the actions of Cambodian civil society.