Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Rallies take religious turn


Heng Chivoan
Meas Sokchea and Sean Teehan, The Phnom Penh Post
18 December 2013

After tossing a handful of salt onto burning coals in a large steel bowl in front of a straw effigy of Prime Minister Hun Sen, Choun Sambath, 40, wished a curse on the premier.

“We get so frustrated with Hun Sen!” Sambath shouted, after participating in the Khmer Buddhist traditional ceremony.

The third day of the Cambodia National Rescue Party’s planned continuous demonstrations at Freedom Park yesterday was marked by a heightened sense of religion, with CNRP president Sam Rainsy and deputy president Kem Sokha taking part in a separate Buddhist prayer ceremony before leading thousands on a march through downtown Phnom Penh.

On a small, makeshift stage set up in the centre of Freedom Park, the ceremony was meant to evoke the spirit of patriotic Cambodians who have died and to soften the hearts of Cambodian People’s Party leaders to the point of admitting defeat.

During a speech after the observance, Sokha said that if the ruling party disapproves of the CNRP’s demonstrations, it should hold a new election to appease those who object to the results of July’s national election, which has been marred with reports of irregularities.

“If the CPP does not want people to publicly protest to demand justice, they must please organise a new election in order to calm people down,” Sokha said.

About 2,000 people then followed Rainsy and Sokha, who jumped onto the back of a pickup truck, which drove at a walking pace away from Freedom Park. Rainsy waved from the moving vehicle, leading the giddy mob through the capital’s centre.

Traffic on Monivong Boulevard was brought to a stand-still for a few minutes at about 6pm, with chanting, flag-waving demonstrators on foot and motorbikes overwhelming the road’s southbound side when the parade passed Calmette Hospital.

Police presence was practically invisible during the rally and march, but Ministry of Interior spokesman Kieu Sopheak decried the demonstrations as illegal, adding that holding a new election is impossible under Cambodian law.

A letter signed by Phnom Penh Deputy Governor Seng Ratanak that Rainsy and Sokha received also said the demonstrations were illegal.

Earlier in the day, fewer than 1,000 people stood in front of the stage or sought shelter under tents, enjoying music, comedy and magic shows in the grey and drizzly morning and afternoon.

Some in attendance handed out plastic ponchos intermittently as rain intensified and let up throughout the day.

The salt and coal curse on Hun Sen which some monks and demonstrators participated in is severe, said But Buntenh, founder of the Independent Monks Network for Social Justice, after the rally.

“[It means] cursing someone … not only to death, but to also spoil everything; spoil fortune and fame,” said Buntenh, who was not present for yesterday’s ritual.

“This is the last choice; we tried to have an election, then we tried to depend on the King.”

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

សូមអស់លោកពិនិត្យ​មើលមុខយួននឹងឈ្មោះ
ពួកអា(ង្វៀង),អា(ហូ)អា(យី​វ)អា(កៃ)
អាតួល្ខោនកៃលឿង សង្គ្រោះសំផឹងយួនទាំងអស់នេះ
ដូចជា :​

-អាយី​វ សម រង្សី
-អាកៃ សុខា
-(អូហូ) វិរៈ,
-ពុង ឈីវហ្កេច,
-ពុង ខៀវសែ,
-សេង ធារី,
-មួ សុខហួ,
-កាំង ហ្កេកអ៊ាវ,
-គី តិច,
-ឡៅ ម៉ុងហៃ,
-ឡៅ ម៉េងគិន,
-ឡេង ប៉េងឡុង,
-ហូ ណាមបូវ៉ា,
-ហៃ Fuck
-ហែម ហេង,
-ហេង សំរិន,
-កៅ គឹមស្ហៀរ,
-គាត ឈុន,
-គី តិច,
-សុខ អាន,
-សុខ គង់,
-ស៊ា កុសល់,
ស៊ាន ប៉េងសែ,
សាម ហ៊ាង,
សេង ធារី,
-អឹង យុក តិចហូ,
អេង ឆៃអៀង,
ឱម យិនទៀង,
ង្វៀងងួន ធីញ៉ឹល,
-ង្វៀងតាវ សេងហួរ,
-ខៀវ កញ្ញារឹទ្ធិ,
-ង្វៀងវ៉ា គិម ហុង,
-ង្វៀងឈៀង វុន...etc...

តើមុខនឹងឈ្មោះពួកវាជាខ្មែរដែរឬទេ???

Anonymous said...

Prime Minister-elect of Wat Phnom and Facebook Samramm Sy...Lol. Mike.

Anonymous said...

អាឆ្កែផ្តាច់ការទាំងពីរ មើលទៅដូចជាគេកំពុងតែហែរអ្នកតាអាចម៍ឆ្កែយួន
ធ្វើទេសចរណ៍កំសាន្តវិលវង់ក្នុងគុកយួនយ៉ាង​​កងរំពង​ ក្រោមកិច្ចសហការណ៍បើកដៃ
ដោយហ៊ុន សែន!

Anonymous said...

Koh Tral Island must not be forgotten

By “any patriot Khmers”

Why do Koh Tral Island, known in Vietnam as Phu Quoc, a sea and land area covering proximately over 30,000 km2 [Note: the actual land size of Koh Tral itself is 574 square kilometres (222 sq miles)] have been lost to Vietnam by whose treaty? Why don’t Cambodia government be transparent and explain to Cambodia army at front line and the whole nation about this? Why don't they include this into education system? Why?

Cambodian armies are fighting at front line for 4.6 km2 on the Thai border and what's about over 30,000km2 of Cambodia to Vietnam. Nobody dare to talk about it! Why? Cambodian armies you are decide the fate of your nation, Cambodian army as well as Cambodian people must rethink about this again and again. Is it fair?

Koh Tral Island, the sea and land area of over 30,000 square kilometres have been lost to Vietnam by the 1979 to 1985 treaties. The Cambodian army at front line as well as all Cambodian people must rethink again about these issues. Are Cambodian army fighting to protect the Cambodia Nation or protecting a very small group that own big lands, big properties or only protecting a small group but disguising as protecting the Khmer nation?

The Cambodian army at front lines suffer under rain, wind, bullets, bombs, lack of foods, lack of nutrition and their families have no health care assistance, no securities after they died but a very small group eat well, sleep well, sleep in first class hotel with air conditioning system with message from young girls, have first class medical care from oversea medical treatments, they are billionaires, millionaires who sell out the country to be rich and make the Cambodian people suffer everyday.

Who signed the treaty 1979-1985 that resulted in the loss over 30,000 km2 of Cambodia??? Why they are not being transparent and brave enough to inform all Cambodians and Cambodian army at front line about these issues? Why don't they include Koh Tral (Koh Tral size is bigger than the whole Phom Phen and bigger than Singapore [Note: Singapore's present land size is 704 km2 (271.8 sq mi)]) with heap of great natural resources, in the Cambodian education system?

Look at Hun Sen's families, relatives and friends- they are billionaires, millionaires. Where did they get the money from when we all just got out of war with empty hands [in 1979]? Hun Sen always say in his speeches that Cambodia had just risen up from the ashes of war, just got up from Year Zero with empty hands and how come they are billionaires, millionaires but 90% of innocent Cambodian people are so poor and struggling with their livelihood every day?

(No Copy Right Restriction and You Have Permission repost or print at any where)

Anonymous said...

សម រង្ស៊ី :
“បើគ្មានអង្គរក្សនិងអាសំដាចម៍ខ្វាក់ហ៊ុន សែន
​​បើកដៃឲ្យទេ ខ្ញុំក៏មិនហ៊ានប្តេជ្ញាចិត្តថា នឹងហ៊ានបូជាជីវិតដើម្បីអោយអ្នកណាដែរ…”