A big thumbs-down
A Phnom Penh municipal official said yesterday that they would investigate mounting complaints that authorities have been forcing the capital’s residents to thumbprint letters supporting the preliminary election results and promising not to join demonstrations.
Residents in Daun Penh and Tuol Kork districts told the Post yesterday that they had been visited by local authorities during the past week and asked to sign the papers, while rights groups said they had heard of numerous such instances. Commune officials admitted that thousands had signed the petitions of support but insisted they had done so voluntarily. …
A 43-year-old in Tuol Kork’s Boeung Kak II commune, who also asked not to be named, said he was visited by his village chief last Friday and asked to sign. …
Bech Sokhoeun, Teuk La’ak I commune chief, said he had already received petitions of support from 1,000 of the commune’s 6,000 voters.
“We do not force them to support but it is up to them. We have the letter, and if they support [the results], they can meet the village chief and sign straight away. If they do not, we do not force them,” he said. …
Election watchdog Comfrel yesterday urged the authorities to halt the practice. …
