Monday, October 21, 2013

CNRP Rejects Marching Ban During 3-Day Protest




By Mech Dara and Alex Willemyns - October 21, 2013

CNRP vice president Kem Sokha said Sunday that the opposition will not heed an order by Phnom Penh City Hall banning marches in the city, and will push forward with plans to march with thousands of supporters to the offices of the U.N. and at least seven embassies during its three-day demonstration starting Wednesday.

The CNRP last week sent a letter to City Hall informing them that its demonstration at Freedom Park—planned to coincide with the anniversary of the signing of the October 23, 1991 Paris Peace Agreement—would include a march with about 20,000 participants to distribute a petition calling on the U.N. and the 18 nations that signed the peace agreement to intervene in the country’s political stalemate.

City Hall on Friday denied permission for the marches, with spokesman Long Dimanche saying that crowds of this size marching through the streets could “affect the traffic, public security and there might be acts of violence.”



With both sides at loggerheads, Phnom Penh governor Pa Socheatvong on Saturday sent a letter to Mr. Sokha inviting him to a meeting at City Hall at 9 a.m. today.

Mr. Sokha said Sunday that he would send representatives to the meeting on his behalf, but the opposition’s plans to march are not up for discussion.

“We’re demanding what we’ve asked for, and we’re not changing our plans. We will demonstrate and march for three days—this is a must,” Mr. Sokha said, clarifying that the opposition had never asked for permission from City Hall but had, as is the law, simply informed the relevant authorities of its plans.

“The government has no right to tell us not to march,” Mr. So­kha said. “They have the right to protect us, and this is their duty…. We have informed them and if they do not fulfill their duty, it is their own responsibility.”

Informed that Mr. Sokha was planning not to attend today’s meeting, Mr. Dimanche said that all talks would be called off unless the opposition leader is present.

“If Mr. Kem Sokha does not come to the meeting no discussions will take place. This is the stance of City Hall,” he said.

The Law on Peaceful Assembly requires that demonstration organizers notify authorities of their plans, and gives authorities the right to reject plans if an event falls on certain public holidays or if there is “clear information” that security, safety or public order could be jeopardized.

A number of smaller demonstrations held over the past two weeks have seen traffic chaos and outbreaks of violence caused by riot and military police who have roughly enforced prohibitions against gatherings and marching by everyone from monks to students attending a memorial service for a slain man.

During a march on October 10, a group of monks pushed their way through multiple lines of riot and military police set up around Wat Phnom to allow anti-land-grabbing activists to deliver a petition to nearby City Hall. On Friday, district security forces punched and shouted abuse at mourners who had gathered around Wat Phnom to hold a memorial ceremony for a man shot dead by police during a three-day mass demonstration held by the CNRP last month.

The shooting occurred after commuters, including opposition supporters traveling home, be­came angry after authorities blocked roads around Moni­vong Bridge causing a huge tail back and severe congestion that lasted for hours.

Long Ry, a CNRP lawmaker-elect for Banteay Meanchey province and the head of security for the opposition, said that the meeting between Mr. Socheatvong and the CNRP this morning would render a “solution” to the disagreement with authorities over the planned marching.

Mr. Ry also said that CNRP organizers were now well trained in how to avoid violence, and that the opposition party was not concerned by comments from military police spokesman Kheng Tito last week that military police would “crack down” if marchers try to force their way past police.

“If there is violence, we won’t fight back,” Mr. Ry said. “We will sit down and let them hit us, but still try our best to fulfill our demand to hand the petition to the embassies and U.N.”

Since official election results were released on September 8 the CNRP has called for a transparent investigation into alleged irregularities during the July national election and has continued to boycott the National Assembly on the grounds that the election results were unfair.

Despite having only 13 seats more than the opposition in parliament, Prime Minister Hun Sen has inaugurated a new one-party National Assembly despite strong arguments regarding the constitutionality of the move.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

DO NOT TOLERATE!

You can protest all you want people but don't mess with my symbolical icon such as Freedom Park (Hun Sen Park), Hun Sen Beach, Hun Sen Bridge, Hun Sen Tower, Hun Sen Court House, Hun Sen Forestry, Hun Sen Bank, Hun Sen statue, Hun Sen Lands, Hun Sen Polices and Hun Sen Arm Forces for my children to tendance in the future. Protest at your own risk or else you end up in Prey Sar, Prey Sar II and Prey Sar III.

Anonymous said...

៥៥ យកមិនយក?៥៥ យកមិនយក?៥៥ យកមិនយក?

ទោះជាពួកអាអស់ឯងខំប្រឹងស្រែក ធ្វើមហាតបាតុកម្ម ឬ មហាតបាតុកម្មសូត្រធម៌,,,,, មហាតបាតុកម្មស្មូត្រ, មហាតបាតុកម្មភាវនា, មហាតបាតុកម្មសមាធិ, លុតជង្គុង ក្រាបទូល
ក្រោមល្អងធូលីព្រះបាទ, ប្តឹងទៅតុលាការ ឬ ចង់ប្តឹងទៅអង្គការសហប្រជាជាតិជាមួយស្នាមមេដៃ ឲ្យបែកមេឃ រញ្ជួយផែនដីទៀត
ក៍ផែនដីនេះមិនទាន់ដល់វេនពួកអាអស់ឯងដែរ នៅមានឯកឧត្ដមបណ្ឌិត
ហ៊ុន ម៉ាណែត ហ៊ុន ម៉ានិត ទៀត ។ល។ និង។ល។
ផែនដីនេះមិនអាចមាន ព្រះអាទិត្យពីររះលើផែនដីតែមួយបានឡើយ។
ចេះច្បាប់បោះឆ្នោតទេ? ចេះគណិតសាស្ដ្រទេ? ៥០+១ = ១២៣/២=៦១.៥+១=៦២.៥
លេខចេញយ៉ាងច្បាស់ចាញ់ហើយ មិនព្រមចាញ់ទៀត
ត្រូវចាំណា សមេ្តចបណ្ឌិតអគ្គមហាសេនាបតីតេជោ ហ៊ុន សែន វរ្ម័នទី១ មិនមែនជាមនុស្សលោកទេ សមេ្តចជាព្រះបាទ ហ៊ុន ទៀន ចាប់ជាតិ សមេ្តចជាព្រះបាទធម្មិក សមេ្តចជាព្រះអាទិទេព សមេ្តចជាទេវតារស់មកសង្គ្រោះប្រជាជនកម្ពុជា និងប្រទេសកម្ពុជាឱ្យ សម្បូរសប្បាយ រង់រឿង និងសុខក្សេមក្សាន្ដ!!!

សមេ្តចជាព្រះអាទិត្យតែមួយ រះលើផែនដីនេះ...។
ជយោ! សមេ្តចបណ្ឌិតអគ្គមហាសេនាបតីតេជោ ហ៊ុន សែន វរ្ម័នទី១ ជាទេវតានៃកម្ពុជា!!!


បរាជ័យ! ពួកអាខ្មែរក្បត់ជាតិរត់ចោលស្រុក!

បរាជ័យពួកអាសត្វឆ្កែបរទេស (!!)

បរាជ័យពួកអាកាកសំណល់បាតសង្គម (!!)

ពីអញ

ហ្ការី អ៊ឹង
សមាគមខ្មែរឡុងប៉ិចរដ្ឋកាលីហ្វ័រញ៉ា និងជា
បេក្ខជន ស្ថានកុងស៊ុលខ្មែរប្រចាំឡុងប៉ិចរដ្ឋកាលីហ្វ័រញ៉ា

Anonymous said...

ah chkae yuon tain 2 kbarl :

Anonymous said...

JUSTICE FOR ALL NOW WE UNITED STAND TOGETHER AS KHMER WILL PREVAIL ONCE AGAIN AS ONE NATION CALLED CAMBODIA. FINALLY ALL OF YOU FROM AROUND THE GLOBE HAD EXPRESS THEIR CONCERNED AND POINT OF VIEW ABOUT DEMOCRACY FOR OUR CITIZENS BACK HOME AND WE KEEP FIGHTING UNTIL WE SHED OUR BLOOD.

Ta Cyclo

Anonymous said...

9:44 Give us something new. Threats and more threats are all you have to offer. Show us some imaginations and creativity. You banality starts to sound like a broken record.

Anonymous said...

8:52 a.m.

Oh you are banking your money on Hun mok pe U.S.A....good luck here.

By the way... ah conjus youn...
... ah conjus chen...
and soon to be ah conjus Amarik...
___ Take your youtube page
stick it in your asshole.

Pe

Anonymous said...

The best option is to bring down CPP illigal government by mass protest of the Khmer people. The sooner, the better.