Police Presence Light at Rowdy CNRP Rally in Freedom Park

Police maintained a subtle, and mostly unarmed, presence at a rowdy opposition rally that filled Phnom Penh’s Freedom Park on Monday, despite persistent tensions over last month’s contested national election and a beefed-up security presence around the city. Even as the crowd swelled to well over the 6,000 people the Interior Ministry had ordered attendance be capped at, the relatively few police and military police deployed around the park made no attempt to turn supporters away or break up the crowd. Deputy municipal military police chief Pong Savrith said his officers all came unarmed to avoid accusations of appearing too aggressive and because they had no reason to expect trouble from the crowd, which had turned out to hear CNRP president Sam Rainsy speak. … Soldiers were also out. Dong Samnang said he was one of 120 soldiers recently redeployed to Phnom Penh from Battambang province and also assigned to help watch over the rally. “We’re here to ensure public order. We’re here to prevent and crack down on robbers and the like,” he said. “We’re here to crack down on anyone who might be an opportunist and try to commit a crime or robbery.” … National Police spokesman Lieutenant General Kirth Chantharith said about 200 national police had been assigned to the event as well. According to the CNRP, more than 200 party volunteers were on hand to help with traffic. Like the district security guards though, they appeared to have little effect as the streets around the park remained nearly impassable for the duration of the rally. All the while, state security forces maintained a quiet distance. …

 Phorn Bopha
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/elections/police-presence-light-at-rowdy-cnrp-rally-in-freedom-park-40918/