Thursday, October 24, 2013

Cambodian protestors march towards foreign embassies as protest enters 2nd day


English.news.cn   2013-10-24 10:46:48

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of supporters of the opposition in Cambodia on Thursday morning continued their protest against the disputed July's election by marching to the embassies of the United States, the United Kingdom, and France in order to submit petition.

Opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) leader Sam Rainsy said the petition was to seek their interventions in the country's political crisis after the contested poll results.

Security forces have been deployed around the protest site and along streets in the city to maintain security, safety and public order.

On Wednesday, the Sam Rainsy-led protestors marched from the Freedom Park to the United Nations office in the distance of 3.5 km away to submit a petition calling for its intervention in the contested poll.

Gen. Kheng Tito, spokesman for the National Military Police, said that Wednesday's march ended without any clash between police and protestors.

According to the schedule of protesters, they will also march on Friday morning -- the last day of the protest -- in order to submit the petition to other foreign embassies including those of Australia, Russia, Japan, Indonesia, and China.

The CNRP launched a three-day mass protest in mid-September, sparking two clashes in which the police fired tear gas, smoke bombs and water cannons to disperse the protesters. As a result, a protestor was shot dead and several got wounded.

The country held a parliamentary poll on July 28. The official results revealed that the ruling party of Prime Minister Hun Sen won victory, but the opposition refused to accept the results, claiming serious irregularities during the poll.

On Sept. 24, the Cambodian Parliament, formed by the ruling party's 68 lawmakers-elect, voted for the establishment of a new government under the leadership of Hun Sen though the opposition's 55 lawmakers boycotted the session.

Sam Rainsy said Wednesday that the opposition would continue to boycott parliament unless there was an appropriate solution to the contested election.

He said his party did not recognize the Hun Sen-led government, claiming that it was a violation of the constitution.

However, Hun Sen defended that his government was legitimate since it has been endorsed by the nation's King Norodom Sihamoni.

Editor: chengyang

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