Cash, Oaths, Holy Water: The Quest by Cambodia's Ruling Party to Identify True Supporters

The ruling Cambodian People's Party has seemingly never had a firmer grip on power.

The CPP dominates government administration, the military and the judiciary, and has eliminated or outlasted all of its political opponents.

But its apparent supremacy masks a serious and growing problem: The more control the party exerts, the less certainty it has about whether anyone truly supports it.

As it moves to further consolidate its power in the run-up to the July general election, the government is preying on some superstitious segments of the population and manipulating the trust many villages place in local officials. And as this plays out, the government has drawn international concern due to the continued detention of Kem Sokha, the leader of the political opposition, the subsequent flight of opposition leaders, and a crackdown on nongovernmental organizations and media.

On Tuesday, after a U.S. delegation met with Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn in Manila, on the margins of the East Asia Summit, the White House issued a statement expressing "strong concerns about recent steps that challenge the country's democratic progress, including restrictions on the free press, civil society, and the political opposition."