In spite of the MoI authorization, Kep Chuktema is doing all he can to prevent the SRP demonstration from taking place

Ministry of Interior authorize the SRP demonstration to be held in front of the National Assembly

Saturday, April 05, 2008
Rasmei Kampuchea newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

On 04 April, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) said that the demonstration led by the SRP on 06 April can be held in front of the National Assembly, however, no march is allowed. Opposition leader Sam Rainsy did not reply yet to this final decision as to whether the SRP will continue the demonstration with the march or not. On his end, Hun Sen sent his wishes to Sam Rainsy so that he lives until 100-year-old to compete against him on the Cambodian political scene.

A reliable source indicated on 04 April morning that Kep Chuktema, the Phnom Penh city governor, ordered an urgent meeting. The topic of this urgent meeting was to ensure the prevention of the SRP demonstration which will be held on 06 April. During the meeting, the presence of the general who is the Phnom Penh police commissioner, the city military police chief, all city district governors, all police and military police chiefs from all 7 districts in the city.

The source indicated that Kep Chuktema ordered the join police and military forces to stay on alert on a 24-hour basis. They should have all the accessories (needed) in all districts and special regions along the various markets, in particular around the area surrounding the SRP party compound, in order to prevent the SRP demonstration at all cost.

During that meeting, Kep Chuktema issued the strict order that: “All our police forces and all the authorities in the 7 city districts should have the necessary mobile forces to prevent any illegal actions. The city does not allow the opposition, the opportunist, or those dishonest people to take any action as they please in order to create hardship, unrest, public disorder, and create fear among the several million of city dwellers by a small group of people.”

Nevertheless, the source also indicated that Kep Chuktema assumed that, this year, the SRP does not have a force of “diehard activists” who dare oppose the government and the city of Phnom Penh like they did in 1998 and 2003 anymore. The proof of his assertion is the fact that in the past few days, the SRP rented motodoop (taxi motorcycles) and tuk-tuks to distribute leaflets calling people to join the demonstration on 06 April. Kep Chuktema claimed that the SRP “diehard” activists in Phnom Penh have all defected the party to join the CPP in droves already, therefore, Kep Chuktema said that Sam Rainsy will seek his provincial party activists to come and help in Phnom Penh. Therefore, Kep Chuktema has ordered all districts authorities, all police forces and all military police forces to look out along all roads leading to the city and strictly prevent any provincial opposition mobile force from entering the city.

The city of Phnom Penh also warned that if on 06 April, the demonstration will still take place, and during the demonstration some inciters will turn the demonstration into a violent one, and the demonstrators start looting, all demonstration leaders will face the law. The city has already prepared 3 lawyers to take measure against any case involved with the 06 April demonstration.

Kep Chuktema said the city hall had already expressed its opposition to any demonstration, violent or not, because a demonstration does not bring any resolution, as for the price inflation, the soaring price of rice, the government and the city hall had taken the appropriate measures already.

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy told all 24 SRP MPs who went to visit their localities to return back to Phnom Penh by no later than Saturday 05 April, in order to prepare themselves to participate in the 06 April demonstration. He said: “I will also participate in the demonstration also, but we are waiting for information from the negotiators with the city hall first.”

Sam Rainsy indicated that SRP MPs, including MP Ho Vann and So Sothy, are continuing the negotiation in the afternoon of 05 April, but he did not receive any information yet about the outcome of the negotiation. While the city of Phnom Penh is determined to prevent the demonstration from taking place, Sam Rainsy could not confirm yet whether the demonstration will include a march or not, nor can he tell the exact location of the demonstration, or whether it will be cancelled or not. However, he must wait for information from his party negotiation with the city hall first. He said that we cannot make a unilateral decision, we must wait to hear about our discussions with the authority and the government first.