Cambodian police send 2 suspects to court after deadly clash in garment protest
The Phnom Penh Municipal Police on Wednesday sent two suspects to court with the charges of " vandalism and causing injuries on police" in a Tuesday's clash between the police and protesting garment workers, which resulted in the death of a woman and several injuries. Eang Sophea, chief of the Phnom Penh Municipal Police's Serious Crimes Bureau, said after the three-hour clash on Tuesday, police arrested 31 protesters for inquiries. "After we questioned them, we found that two are involved in the clash so that we send them to court with the charges of vandalism and fighting back with police," he told reporters on Wednesday. "The two suspects are not garment workers, but opportunists." The two suspects are a scavenger Meas Non, 15, and a sand- trucking worker Vanni Van, 19, he said. The remaining 29 suspects were free after inquiries. ... The Ministry of Interior issued a statement on Tuesday evening, saying that the clash left a woman dead, 47 policemen and nine protesters injured. In addition, two police trucks and two motorcycles had been set on fire. "The clash was triggered by some opportunists who incited workers to trigger violence," the statement said. During the clash, strikers threw stones at police as police retaliated by using water cannons and smoke bombs to disperse protesters, said Kheng Tito, spokesman for the National Military Police. However, eyewitnesses said police had fired real bullets on protesters, accidentally killed the woman who sold food on the sidewalk and injured several protesters. ... However, Kheng Tito denied that the police had shot real bullets at protesters, saying it was against the law. ...
Global Times News Staff
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