"Trying to find a way out of the cage" - Youths' civil society expressions in 2018 post-election Cambodia

Abstract: After the 2018 elections, political rights are scarce in Cambodia, new laws are enacted that tighten state control, and critics are under constant fear of crackdown. Youth, especially, have due to their mobility, size and strength gained increasing attention from the government, attempting to de-politicise youth activities and groups. This thesis examines young civil society actors’ possibilities to participate, thus answering the questions; How do civil society actors adapt their strategies of participation? What modes of participation (Jayasuriya & Rodan, 2007) are accessible, meaning how does the government organize and manage conflict? What do (un)available modes of participation tell us about the regime? The analysis builds on empirical data collected while on fieldwork in Cambodia and comprises 16 semi-structured interviews with youth actors. The analysis arrives at the following result; the government organizes the access to political resources in a way that effectively excludes critics from modes of participation that allow for contestation. This results in actors searching for new modes of participation, exiting what is commonly understood of as ‘civil society’ while continuing to identify as belonging to this sphere. Thus, this thesis provides a reconceptualization of ‘civil society’ capable of encompassing Cambodian youths’ struggle for access.