Finnish riot police overlook protesters during an anarchist demonstration ahead of an ASEM summit in Helsinki, Saturday Sept. 9, 2006. European Union leaders and their Asian partners open a two day summit beginning Sunday. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe)10 Sept 2006
By Mayarith
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
Several thousands of people belonging to the Peace Committee held a massive demonstration march in Helsinki (Finland) at 1:00 PM on Saturday. Several Cambodians living in Finland have participated in the demonstration.
Saturday’s demonstration was held one day before the arrival of the 38 leaders of the ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) in which prime minister Hun Sen will participate.
Sar Sophorn from Cambodia, who participated in the demonstration said that the Cambodian demonstrators held banners asking for the reform in the justice system, asking for the stop of the killings of opposition party members. The aim of these banners was only to help improve the situation in the country (Cambodia).
Sar Sophorn said: “This is the first time in Finland that we have such a huge demonstration in the middle of Helsinki, with several thousands of people marching to ask for peace in each country, such as Lebanon, Iraq, and Asian countries. The demonstrators are shouting on loudspeakers and are holding banner signs and their respective country’s flag. Cambodians are also shouting with other [demonstrators] demanding democracy for our Cambodia.”
On Sunday, the official opening day of the ASEM summit, Cambodian people said that they will meet near a building where the summit will take place.
Ms. Sarom who lives in Finland, said that the meeting [by Cambodian people] on Sunday is organized to demand the Cambodian prime minister, who is participating in the conference, for a democratic leadership in Cambodia.
Ms. Sarom said that according to her observations on the current situation in Cambodia, the leadership is not done properly yet.
Ms. Sarom said: “The prime minister [Hun Sen] is here, I am asking the prime minister to listen to Cambodian people living in Finland who are demanding from our government to take care of our innocent population, to stop the killings of each other, to eliminate the thefts committed in Cambodia. We are asking that the government opens its eyes to see the current sufferings of the population caused by thefts and killings of each other.”
On Saturday, before the opening of the summit, some meetings have been held between European officials and the leaders of China and South Korea.
Saturday’s demonstration was held one day before the arrival of the 38 leaders of the ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) in which prime minister Hun Sen will participate.
Sar Sophorn from Cambodia, who participated in the demonstration said that the Cambodian demonstrators held banners asking for the reform in the justice system, asking for the stop of the killings of opposition party members. The aim of these banners was only to help improve the situation in the country (Cambodia).
Sar Sophorn said: “This is the first time in Finland that we have such a huge demonstration in the middle of Helsinki, with several thousands of people marching to ask for peace in each country, such as Lebanon, Iraq, and Asian countries. The demonstrators are shouting on loudspeakers and are holding banner signs and their respective country’s flag. Cambodians are also shouting with other [demonstrators] demanding democracy for our Cambodia.”
On Sunday, the official opening day of the ASEM summit, Cambodian people said that they will meet near a building where the summit will take place.
Ms. Sarom who lives in Finland, said that the meeting [by Cambodian people] on Sunday is organized to demand the Cambodian prime minister, who is participating in the conference, for a democratic leadership in Cambodia.
Ms. Sarom said that according to her observations on the current situation in Cambodia, the leadership is not done properly yet.
Ms. Sarom said: “The prime minister [Hun Sen] is here, I am asking the prime minister to listen to Cambodian people living in Finland who are demanding from our government to take care of our innocent population, to stop the killings of each other, to eliminate the thefts committed in Cambodia. We are asking that the government opens its eyes to see the current sufferings of the population caused by thefts and killings of each other.”
On Saturday, before the opening of the summit, some meetings have been held between European officials and the leaders of China and South Korea.
No comments:
Post a Comment