As part of the Forum for Democratic Cooperation, held in Taipei on May 26–28, 2026 as Forum 2000’s first conference in the Indo-Pacific, we launched A Life in Democracy, a new series of conversations exploring the experiences, resilience, and convictions of those who have dedicated their lives to defending open societies. In this first edition, we present Mardi Seng, Cambodian Senator, President of the Khmer Will Party, and a long-standing advocate for democracy in Southeast Asia.
Mardi’s commitment to democracy is rooted in an extraordinary personal history. As a child, he survived the Khmer Rouge genocide, lost his father, and made a promise that, if he survived, he would dedicate his life to the betterment of Cambodia. After nearly three decades in the United States, he returned home and entered politics, beginning a long struggle for greater political and civic freedoms. In this conversation, Mardi reflects on democracy as “the air that we breathe,” the dangers of strongman politics and weakened institutions, the imprisonment of his sister and other political activists, and the importance of preparing a new generation of democratic leaders. His story is ultimately one of endurance: a belief that, even after genocide, repression, and decades of political struggle, freedom remains worth defending and hope must be passed on.
