battambang cambodia sin rozeth attempt show benefit grassroots democracy poor people cambodian city battambang peril 30-year-old daughter vegetable seller become head ochar commune equivalent local council leader elections june victory part politics local strategy help opposition cambodia national rescue party cnrp win 40 percent 1,646 local seat stake previously percent authoritarian government former khmer rouge commander hun sen crack every level party show might beat elections due next july longest-serving prime minister world accuse cnrp bid unite state hun sen government arrest cnrp leader kem sokha treason charge take step party dissolve altogether vocal right group also silence media critical rule party repress sin rozeth mean warn letter city provincial authorities threaten remove voters show sign discouragement ochar community 18,000 battambang spill rice field dwell patch metal sheet wood sit alongside low-rise cinderblock home new voters commune register ahead next year national elections say picture across cambodia electoral commission estimate 1.6 million people need register either come age miss barely quarter do ahead nov. deadline stake shaky democracy western donors spend billions dollars try build genocide khmer rouge kill estimate 1.7 million people around quarter population 1975 1979. hun sen dominance date 1985 become prime minister patronage occupy vietnamese force help drive former khmer rouge comrades 1991 peace deal end civil war u.n.-supervised elections hold 1993. hun sen lose maneuver keep power use force court undermine opponents ever since sin rozeth take politics drop university lack money say make money help others real estate deal battambang province support single mother raise commune official budget freeze pay office electricity bill pocket say donors cambodia abroad also help buy computer plastic chair office hard work sin rozeth say city provincial authorities send three warn letter among accusations offer service free charge discriminate rule party officials usurp role commune clerk hold meet saturdays cnrp commune chiefs elsewhere complain va sam kok khleang commune phnom penh say interior ministry take issue document land title birth certificate previously big source fund commune discrimination cnrp commune chiefs widespread say mu sochua deputy kem sokha flee exile fear arrest commune face target shine show much competence tell reuters battambang provincial governor nguon ratanak government rule cambodia people party cpp tell reuters local leaders obey law deny stop anyone develop commune still want apply political policies use campaign say commune chiefs must work guidelines interior ministry political party cnrp ban court decision due nov. 16 rule party would take control commune cnrp currently lead base change election law approve cambodia cpp-dominated parliament last month government dismiss criticism crackdown ahead next july election turn cambodia one-party state say act break cambodia laws arrest midnight raid sept. cnrp leader kem sokha accuse plot americans organize color revolution like topple eastern european strongmen let dangerous revolution happen cambodia say senior interior ministry official huy vannak try put american jacket onto cambodian fit among force even kem sokha arrest u.s. state department fund national democratic institute ndi spend 25 years democracy-building mission cost average million year past five years sin rozeth bear two years hun sen come power 1985 benefit train many members rule party include lessons campaign trainers teach attack party say present policies ndi say since recent elections 138 rule party members participate ndi activities along 153 members opposition effort try collude opposition guilty collude rule party well ndi president kenneth wollack tell reuters within days kem sokha arrest top chinese official fly phnom penh word support china replace unite state cambodia big single donor far u.s. congress senators john mccain dick durbin introduce resolution could lead travel restrictions cambodian leaders cambodian officials say fear penalties americans even control north korea government spokesman phay siphan tell reuters sin rozeth believe strategy promise change locally well nationally help explain party success facebook live videos show diminutive energetic figure get drain build muddy streets battambang famed cambodia fine jasmine rice french colonial architecture win followers far beyond city go meet people get know problems go funerals pay condolences even know people say sin rozeth show deliver day day say new generation want show administration effective clean free charge 2013 video strategy use evidence kem sokha say back unnamed americans plan win power require change top level need uproot low one kem sokha legitimate political strategy democracy government call treason fight grassroots democracy cambodia sideline u.s