City Won't Return Confiscated Kites Without Mea Culpa
By Yun Samean and Erika Kinetz
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Human rights groups called for the return of 70 kites that were confiscated Monday by more than 100 armed police who blocked NGO workers and lawmakers from flying them in front of the National Assembly in an attempt to highlight the need for freedom of expression.
"City Hall must consider returning the kites because they are our property," Pa Nguon Teang, the executive director of the Cambodian Center for Hu-man Rights, said Tuesday.
But Deputy Municipal Governor Pa Socheatvong said the kites would be returned only if the NGOs involved in the demonstration publish a statement in newspapers acknowledging that they were wrong to attempt to fly kites without City Hall's permission.
"If they want the kites, they must first acknowledge their mistakes," he said.
Protest organizers showed little sign of remorse Tuesday.
"It’s our right to have freedom of expression and freedom of assembly," said Licadho President Kek Galabru, who was one of the thwarted kite-flyers.
"Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right," US Ambassador Joseph Mussomeli said.
"While reasonable restrictions are necessary to ensure public order and stability, the deployment of 100 heavily armed police to counter a small group of peacefully assembled kite-flyers seems disproportionate," he said.
"Cambodia's stability is strong enough to endure the onslaught of a few colorful kites."
"City Hall must consider returning the kites because they are our property," Pa Nguon Teang, the executive director of the Cambodian Center for Hu-man Rights, said Tuesday.
But Deputy Municipal Governor Pa Socheatvong said the kites would be returned only if the NGOs involved in the demonstration publish a statement in newspapers acknowledging that they were wrong to attempt to fly kites without City Hall's permission.
"If they want the kites, they must first acknowledge their mistakes," he said.
Protest organizers showed little sign of remorse Tuesday.
"It’s our right to have freedom of expression and freedom of assembly," said Licadho President Kek Galabru, who was one of the thwarted kite-flyers.
"Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right," US Ambassador Joseph Mussomeli said.
"While reasonable restrictions are necessary to ensure public order and stability, the deployment of 100 heavily armed police to counter a small group of peacefully assembled kite-flyers seems disproportionate," he said.
"Cambodia's stability is strong enough to endure the onslaught of a few colorful kites."
6 comments:
Holy S$*t, be man enough and return those kites. The government already looks to be a joke for confiscating those kites, and claiming it was a threat. Save face, and return it.
Yay...mr. ambassador!
mr. ambassador your statements are right on.
thank you for expressing your opinion on such matter. your statements are counted and heard. and showed that you care about freedom of expression and cambodia.
thank you.
Stable or not, the ruling party needs to flex their muscle to show oppositions who is in charge.
SiS
If the deputy district governor thinks that they were illegally fly the kites, as your are the law enforcer, why didn't you put them in jail or send them to court?
It's sound stupid that the deputy municipal governor asked for acknowledgement, NGOs were wrong, before returning the kites to them. What was wrong?
I am sure that the law said rally should or must have permission from municipal, but I am also sure that the law did not say that rally without permission was wrong or illegal.
If the municipal talks about WRONG, the NGOs must have RIGHTS. if the municipal talks about illegal or legal then, municipal must proof base on law.
Don't be stupid, governor, people did not recruit you to work there, but you were appointed without the acknowledgement of people AT ALL.
I just want to know if a group of children fly their kites in the rice field, but it is inside the Phnom Penh boundary, will those children need to ask for permission? If those children do not need to ask permission, why these NGOs need to ask for permission?
That Mother F.....has the need for Mr. Embassador to tell them what to do. That how dumb they are! F.....!
Do every one need to get permision to speak, laugh, pee, and shit!
Does Hun Sen requect permision from city hall to jump on Bonary!
Cambodian idiot made from Vietname.
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