Australia advises citizens to avoid mass protest in Cambodia

English.news.cn   2013-09-05 15:14:04

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Australia advised its citizens to keep away from a mass protest which the Cambodian opposition planned to hold on Saturday against the disputed election results.

"You should avoid protests, demonstrations and political gatherings as they may turn violent," said a warning posted on the website of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs on Thursday. "You should pay close attention to your personal security and monitor the media for information about possible new safety or security risks."

On Wednesday, the United States Embassy in Cambodia urged its citizens to avoid a mass demonstration on Sept. 7 against the controversial poll result.

The initial results of the July 28 election showed that the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) of Prime Minister Hun Sen won 68 of the 123 parliamentary seats, and the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) led by Sam Rainsy got the remaining 55 seats.

But the CNRP rejected the results due to serious irregularities during the poll. Sam Rainsy announced last Thursday that the party would hold a mass protest on Sept. 7, a day ahead of the official release of the final election results.

The demonstration would be held at the capital's Freedom Park with about 20,000 protesters, the CNRP said.