Official Explanation for Canceled Water Festival Questioned

From the leadership of the opposition CNRP down to Phnom Penh’s street vendors, Prime Minister Hun Sen’s explanation for once again canceling the city’s annual Water Festival—recent flooding in the provinces—is being met with mounting skepticism. In a government decree on Sunday, Mr. Hun Sen said the waterlogged communes and villages that usually send their longboat teams to Phnom Penh for three days of races each year in November to celebrate the turning of the Tonle Sap River—and the 1 to 2 million people who come to watch them—ought to focus instead on recovering from the recent floods. But with the city still locked in a political standoff over July’s disputed national election, and the opposition continuing to draw tens of thousands of supporters to their rallies, the CNRP has said Mr. Hun Sen’s explanation is a mere excuse. CNRP chief whip Son Chhay said the prime minister was actually terrified of millions of people flowing into the city for the event. … Political analyst Kem Ley agreed. “Every year at least 2 million people come and right now the majority of people support the CNRP, so if a lot of people come to Phnom Penh it is a big problem for the CPP,” he said. While the CPP officially won a majority of the vote, the opposition alleges widespread fraud and says it was the real victor. Mr. Ley added that the decision to cancel the event would likely prove unpopular with local vendors, many of whom count on the large crowds to pad their annual profits. … Even so, government officials on Monday continued to deny any ulterior motives for canceling this year’s festival. “You just write what the government decree states, because there is nothing besides that reason,” Interior Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak said. “The people can say whatever they want.” …

 Zsombor Peter and Hul Reaksmey
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/official-explanation-for-canceled-water-festival-questioned-44565/