June 13, 2008: Sam Rainsy with the Khmer-Islam (Cham) community at Sangkat Chrang Chamreh I, Khan Russei Keo in Phnom Penh. The authorities pulled down the SRP tent and intimidated participants. Many people dared not join the meeting but listened from their neighboring houses. (All photos: SRP)Friday, June 13, 2008
By Kim Pov Sottan
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
The (CPP-controlled) Russei Keo authority used force to dismantle and disrupt a meeting held between opposition leader Sam Rainsy and Khmer-Islam constituents on Friday, in Chraing Chamres commune, Phnom Penh city, however, there were no injuries in the altercation.
Sam Rainsy called this action an illegal disruption and a threat from the ruling party, because the CPP is worried about the supporting trend provided to the SRP by the population as the election approaches.
Sam Rainsy indicated: “The CPP can do anything it wants freely, but for the Sam Rainsy Party, even SRP MPs cannot meet their constituents, they created all kind of problems. This threat reflects the CPP worries about the Sam Rainsy party because the SRP has an edge over the CPP.”
SRP MP Ho Vann added that the authority sent in a large contingent of joint police and military police force which cut off electricity in order to prevent the use of the microphones by the visiting SRP MPs, and the police force also threatened those who participated in the meeting which was planned long in advance already.
The planned meeting which was supposed to last several hours between SRP MPs and their supporters was cut short to one hour and a half only, under the rain, following the disruption by the (CPP-controlled) authority.
Kauk Sles, the CPP Russei Keo deputy district governor, declared that the opposition used a Muslim mosque, a public place, to hold its meeting, this is the reason why the mosque committee brought in its accusation, and then his police force went in to intervene in this case.
Kauk Sles accused the opposition by saying: “What directive letter issued by the Ministry of Interior? What public place? What mosque? But they do no follow anybody’s order at all. He (Sam Rainsy) held a microphone, talking, it’s his story and he used the mosque to hold his campaign, then the other side (the CPP police force) used microphones to make noise to disrupt him, then he stopped. But I am telling you, he has a very hard head, even if the (mosque) committee does not allow him, he still kept on insisting on holding the meeting successfully. Who else does he accuse? If the authority took action, I just tell them to stop and it will be dealt with, but, we, the authority, we didn’t do anything to touch him.”
This is not the first time that an altercation takes place between the opposition and the police force. Chan Saveth, an official of the Adhoc human rights organization, indicated that 4 persons were killed recently as the election approaches. Furthermore, several (opposition) political party signs have been destroyed as the competition against the CPP intensifies.
Human rights groups are concerned about the violence that takes place as the official election campaign will start next month.
Sam Rainsy called this action an illegal disruption and a threat from the ruling party, because the CPP is worried about the supporting trend provided to the SRP by the population as the election approaches.
Sam Rainsy indicated: “The CPP can do anything it wants freely, but for the Sam Rainsy Party, even SRP MPs cannot meet their constituents, they created all kind of problems. This threat reflects the CPP worries about the Sam Rainsy party because the SRP has an edge over the CPP.”
SRP MP Ho Vann added that the authority sent in a large contingent of joint police and military police force which cut off electricity in order to prevent the use of the microphones by the visiting SRP MPs, and the police force also threatened those who participated in the meeting which was planned long in advance already.
The planned meeting which was supposed to last several hours between SRP MPs and their supporters was cut short to one hour and a half only, under the rain, following the disruption by the (CPP-controlled) authority.
Kauk Sles, the CPP Russei Keo deputy district governor, declared that the opposition used a Muslim mosque, a public place, to hold its meeting, this is the reason why the mosque committee brought in its accusation, and then his police force went in to intervene in this case.
Kauk Sles accused the opposition by saying: “What directive letter issued by the Ministry of Interior? What public place? What mosque? But they do no follow anybody’s order at all. He (Sam Rainsy) held a microphone, talking, it’s his story and he used the mosque to hold his campaign, then the other side (the CPP police force) used microphones to make noise to disrupt him, then he stopped. But I am telling you, he has a very hard head, even if the (mosque) committee does not allow him, he still kept on insisting on holding the meeting successfully. Who else does he accuse? If the authority took action, I just tell them to stop and it will be dealt with, but, we, the authority, we didn’t do anything to touch him.”
This is not the first time that an altercation takes place between the opposition and the police force. Chan Saveth, an official of the Adhoc human rights organization, indicated that 4 persons were killed recently as the election approaches. Furthermore, several (opposition) political party signs have been destroyed as the competition against the CPP intensifies.
Human rights groups are concerned about the violence that takes place as the official election campaign will start next month.
