17 April 2008By Sok Serey
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
The SRP plans to hold an important meeting on Thursday to plan a new non-violent demonstration in Phnom Penh city, with the aim of demanding, one more time, that the current Cambodian government intervenes to lower the soaring price of goods on the market and to drag down the galloping inflation in Cambodia currently.
Eng Chhai Eang, SRP Secretary-general, told RFA: “Tomorrow, we will hold a meeting of the party permanent committee, because when we organize (the demonstration), we must inform the authority. We will not hold it the same way as we did before where the authority was creating obstacles for us. We still set up an actual plan. In the next few days, we will make the decision.”
He indicated that the meeting will decide on the non-violent demonstration march, and the schedule date for holding this upcoming demonstration, which could take place either in April or at the beginning of May.
Kem Sokha, HRP president, who used to make the same demands from the government, said: “These demands are the rights of the Cambodian people. The government must provide security so that the people can express their opinion freely. The HRP had thought about the gasoline price increase, and the increase of the price of other goods. We demand to hold a (public) forum, but the government did not give us the authorization to hold it.”
Touch Naroth, Phnom Penh police commissioner, warned about the SRP’s plan to hold a demonstration in the near future by saying: “I did not receive this information yet, but if it is illegal, then we will take measure to stop it.”
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy led a demonstration once already on 06 April, in front of the National Assembly. This location was authorized by the Phnom Penh city hall and the Ministry of Interior. Only about 300 persons joined this demonstration, whereas the SRP planned to have about 5,000 participants.
Sam Rainsy and party officials accused the city of Phnom Penh of closing all roads leading to the city, in order to prevent SRP supporters from the provinces from participating in the demonstration.
Regarding the plan to hold a new demonstration by the SRP, Prime minister Hun Sen issued a warning on 13 April, claiming that he will used armed force to quell this demonstration if this demonstration will turn into a People power protest to topple his government before or after the July 2008 general election. However, SRP officials reacted by saying that there is no need to fear the People Power if the current government is truly a democratic one.
Eng Chhai Eang, SRP Secretary-general, told RFA: “Tomorrow, we will hold a meeting of the party permanent committee, because when we organize (the demonstration), we must inform the authority. We will not hold it the same way as we did before where the authority was creating obstacles for us. We still set up an actual plan. In the next few days, we will make the decision.”
He indicated that the meeting will decide on the non-violent demonstration march, and the schedule date for holding this upcoming demonstration, which could take place either in April or at the beginning of May.
Kem Sokha, HRP president, who used to make the same demands from the government, said: “These demands are the rights of the Cambodian people. The government must provide security so that the people can express their opinion freely. The HRP had thought about the gasoline price increase, and the increase of the price of other goods. We demand to hold a (public) forum, but the government did not give us the authorization to hold it.”
Touch Naroth, Phnom Penh police commissioner, warned about the SRP’s plan to hold a demonstration in the near future by saying: “I did not receive this information yet, but if it is illegal, then we will take measure to stop it.”
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy led a demonstration once already on 06 April, in front of the National Assembly. This location was authorized by the Phnom Penh city hall and the Ministry of Interior. Only about 300 persons joined this demonstration, whereas the SRP planned to have about 5,000 participants.
Sam Rainsy and party officials accused the city of Phnom Penh of closing all roads leading to the city, in order to prevent SRP supporters from the provinces from participating in the demonstration.
Regarding the plan to hold a new demonstration by the SRP, Prime minister Hun Sen issued a warning on 13 April, claiming that he will used armed force to quell this demonstration if this demonstration will turn into a People power protest to topple his government before or after the July 2008 general election. However, SRP officials reacted by saying that there is no need to fear the People Power if the current government is truly a democratic one.
8 comments:
I cannot see if it is appropriated for an opposition party to protest the government by a demonstration for anti-inflation at all. It is not democratic for an opposition party to do so. If the inflation have grown to a level in which people cannot accepte, people themselves will go out and will ransack the whole country by themselves without any help or initiate by a poltical party. I think if Sam Rainsy party initiate for a protest to the Government for uncontrolable of level od corruption by government officials, land grabbings, leasing lands for Vietnam army for rubber plantations, is more appropriated. It will prove of common concern. Areak Prey
you gotta stop this madness. There is a strike almost every week now. I think we get the message it is starting to get annoying now Mr. Sam Rainsy.
When you do it first time, do it successfully with well prepared thoughtout and thousands of people. Don't keep on doing it because you fail to catch the attention of many people the first time.
I think this action will hurt you more in the long run.
i agree, especially it could scare investors or tourists away from cambodia, especially when they don't understand cambodia. i hope others are looking at cambodia for themselves as they say seeing is believing instead of play follow the leader for this is not a good or a smart way to do. in the past, investors or tourists used to always listened to thailand or vietnam in order to invest or visit cambodia. i'm glad people don't do that again because those countries and some opposition party people are not too friendly with cambodia gov't, thus those people tend to talk bad or try to convince others not to invest or visit cambodia. therefore, i strongly encourage tourists and investors alike to come see cambodia for themselves with their own two eyes and judge cambodia for themselves before they fall gullible by hearsays of thailand, vietnam or opposition political parties. this is so true because a lot of visitors to cambodia often fall in love or like cambodia and what they saw after they visited in person for themselves. cambodia is a magical country and very rich in culture, traditional and resources, etc... so please seeing is believing and please don't be gullible by word of mouth until one see cambodia for themselves. thank you and god bless cambodia and her people.
Dear 8:01AM,
Not you alone that one Cambodia to move foward with strong economy and strong work forces. But the government must have a good policy in controling corruption, working with international communities, punishing all landgrabbed and all fraudulent actvities committed by all Oknhas, work harder to collect all tax and duties, reform court and police, reform public salary earners etc.. to give investors a good picture of Cambodia. Foreign Investors do not need to come to Cambodia to look for investing their monies if the above problems are being not resolved, noone will come. Investors are people with intelligence and good vision. Areak Prey
i supported mr. sam raingsy 100%. please do it again. this is the only way to win the communist control and the election. be strong and be independent, not being a yuon puppet like the cpp hunxen. cio!
Please save Cambodia and her people!
Stop Ah Savage Killer Xam Rainxy.
The activists of human rights and democracy of subversion as the sam rainsy's partisans are as a cancer.
We look effectively after the cancer by the surgery when the disease is early detected and when it is a little developed isolated cell.
When we make nothing. And we leave the cancer develops and becomes widespread in all the body.
The disease is incurable.
And the patient dies!
Some got it right. Strikes and demonstrations are a legitimate tool, but too many of them can bring a country down. The SRP is not helping Cambodia, quite the opposite. The CPP is not good, but the SRP isn't any better.
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