By Jeb Boone, Global PostOctober 25, 2013
Participants in OpCambodiaFreedom are concerned with systemic problems that plague Cambodian society, including severe poverty, censorship, corruption and government land grabs.
As thousands of protesters filled the streets of Phnom Penh for a third day Friday to demand a United Nations investigation into strongman Prime Minister Hun Sen's re-election, individuals within the Anonymous hacker collective remained at their computers to unearth the Southeast Asian government's secrets.
Supporters of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party suspect fraud behind the July re-election of Hun Sen, who has been at the helm of Cambodian government since 1985. They also assert that election officials inflated the number of parliamentary seats due to members of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party after the votes were tallied.
OpCambodiaFreedom is on their side.
“All politicians are rats. They’re animals. Our goal is to leak more government data and send a message to our dictators that we are not simply sitting and watching,” one of the hackers involved with OpCambodiaFreedom told GlobalPost.
OpCambodiaFreedom, launched in June, has so far sought to reveal corrupt election practices. In their seminal hack in July, participants in the operation hacked into servers used by the Cambodian National Election Committee (NEC), just 10 days ahead of a nationwide vote. Claiming that the NEC planned to facilitate voter fraud, the hackers, known as Anons, temporarily disabled the website, defaced it and made off with large amounts of data.
The NEC, which has faced frequent accusations of fraud in past years, has promised to look into local complaints, and has admitted some irregularities in the polling process.
But participants in OpCambodiaFreedom are more concerned with systemic problems that plague Cambodian society, including severe poverty, censorship, corruption and government land grabs.
More from GlobalPost: Blood sugar: Oxfam accuses Coke and Pepsi of fueling land grabs
For years, military police and other authorities have been using violence and intimidation to carry out land grabbing operations, according to numerous reports.
Land expropriation and further human rights abuses have attracted international attentionin recent years. In a report released earlier this month, aid organization Oxfam International alleged that a Cambodian plantation whose sugar ends up in Coca-Cola and Pepsi products has robbed 457 families of their farmland — their primary source of income.
OpCambodiaFreedom, which is currently targeting more government computer systems, is unusual in its long-term commitment to the cause. Anons involved have abandoned the cavalier bravado typical of Anonymous operations, instead expressing their determination to take on the government on behalf of the Cambodian people.
In a country with limited internet penetration, like Cambodia, there are few domestic spectators to an online hack. But a combination of poor information security and government secrecy creates an environment that empowers skilled hackers and grants them access to large amounts of privileged information.
“We would not say it is easy or difficult [to break into government systems]. But with determination, courage and the ideals that we believe in, we will prevail. We also call for support from citizens of the world to join us in this operation. We need all the help we can get to bring real justice to the citizens of Cambodia,” said one Anon involved with the operation.
As an Anonymous operation with a small but dedicated following, OpCambodiaFreedom is hoping to attract the gaze of outsiders and Anons alike as protesters continue demonstrations in the capital.
"Global Anons supported this op at its inception but you may know they also have to take care of the bigger ops as well. So as for this op, we are trying to make the words heard and reach out to all anon and everyone on Earth who care about freedom, censorship and justice," one Anon said.
“We work for freedom of people and freedom of knowledge and information. Our leaks are everywhere.”
1 comment:
Greetings citizens of the world, we are anonymous.
Government of the once great Kingdom of Cambodia,
It has come to our atttention that despite our continued warnings you have decided to disregard our requests to assist the people of this country, and have persisted in running a one-way system which only shows to benefit yourselves .On many occasions, we, the people, have asked that you change your attitude towards leadership and serve our country rather than control it, that you maintain the rights and freedoms of the citizens. Instead, you have decided to impose worsening austerity measures upon us. You have created a system which ensures the poor remain poor, and the wealthy remain wealthy. It is now very clear to us, the people, that you have no intention of running the country for our people, but you will continue to run it to your own justification and views.
The system has failed us. To the Kingdom of Cambodia government, you have made an enemy of Anonymous, you have angered us considerably and we now pose a significant threat to you. You have once again disregarded the requests of the people and continue to operate for your own unfair, selfish and pathetic gain. We are not a small group of people residing in Cambodia for you to ignore, we are organised, globally active, collective of like-minded individuals and our message to you is clear, we declare war on the system you have imposed on us. Your worst enemy is now your own people.
The Corrupt Fear us.
The Honest Support us.
The Heroic Join us.
We Do Not Forgive.
We Do Not Forget.
You should have expected us!
ជូនចំពោះដល់ប្រជាជននៅលើពិភពលោក, ពួកយើងជាជនអានាមិករដ្ធាភិបាលនៃព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជាដែលធ្លាប់ជាប្រទេសអស្ចារ្យ, ពួកយើងបានចាប់អារម្មណ៏ឃើញថាពួកអ្នកបានបដិសេធការស្នើសុំរបស់ពួកយើងក្នុងការជួយប្រជាពលរដ្ធនៃប្រទេសនេះហើយអ្នកបានចចេសនិងតែងតែកែងចំណេញរកផលប្រយោជន៏តែខ្លួនឯង។ជាច្រើនដងមកហើយពួកយើងជាប្រជាពលរដ្ធបានស្នើសុំអោយអ្នកផ្លាស់ប្តូរអកប្បកិរិយាក្នុងការដឹកនាំ។ ហើយជាច្រើនដងដែរដែលពួកយើងសុំអោយអ្នកបំរើជាតិជៀសជាងការគ្រប់គ្រងប្រទេសជាតិនិងសូមអោយអ្នកផ្តល់សិទ្ធសេរីភាពអោយពួកយើងតែផ្ទុយទៅវិញអ្នកបែរជាប្រើអំណាចគៀបសង្កត់ពួកយើងខ្លាំងជាងមុនទៅវិញអ្នកបានបង្កើតនូវប្រព័ន្ធមួយដែលធានាថាអ្នកក្រនៅតែក្រនិងអ្នកមាននៅតែមាន។ ក្នុងពេលនេះពួកយើងដឹងច្បាស់ហើយថាអ្នកកាន់អំណាចនេះ មិនមែនសំរាប់ជួយប្រជារាស្ត្រនោះឡើយតែអ្នកប្រើវាសំរាប់ផលប្រយោជន៏របស់ខ្លួន, ប្រព័ន្ធនេះធ្វើអោយយើងជាប្រជាជនខកចិត្តជាខ្លាំង។ជូនចំពោះរាជរដ្ធាភិបាលនៃព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា អ្នកបានធ្វើខ្លួនជាសត្រូវរបស់ពួកយើង(ជនអានាមិក) អ្នកបានធ្វើអោយយើងមានទោសៈជាខ្លាំងហើយអីលូវយើងអាចនិងបង្កបញ្ហាដ៏ធំដល់អ្នក។ អ្នកបានបដិសេធនូវការស្នើសុំរបស់រាស្ត្រម្តងហើយម្តងទៀត ហើយអ្នកនៅតែប្រើអំណាចដើម្បីបានផលប្រយោជន៏ខ្លួនឯងដដែល។ពួកយើងមិនមែនជាក្រុមមនុស្សដែលមានសមាជិកតិចនៅកម្ពុជាដែលអ្នកអាចព្រងើយកន្តើយបានទេ,ពួកយើងគឺជាក្រុមដែលពោរពេញទៅដោយមនុស្សចិត្តដូចគ្នាហើយសមាជិកពួកយើងត្រូវបានរៀបចំយ៉ាងមានសណ្តាប់ធ្នាប់ទូទាំងពិភពលោក។ យើងសូមប្រាប់ដល់អ្នកអោយបានច្បាស់ថា យើងកំពុងប្រកាសសង្គ្រាមទៅលើប្រព័ន្ធដែលអ្នកបានដាក់មកលើយើង អីលូវសត្រូវដ៏ធំបំផុតរបស់អ្នកគឺជាពលរដ្ធរបស់អ្នក។ពួកពុករលួយខ្លាចយើងពួកស្មោះត្រង់គាំទ្រយើងពួកអ្នកតស៊ូចូលរួមជាមួយយើងពួកយើងមិនអភ័យទោសពួកយើងមិនបំភ្លេចចោលអ្នកគួរតែរំពឹងនូវការមកដល់របស់ពួកយើង
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