Protesters Call For Release of Boeng Kak 15
About 100 residents from Phnom Penh’s Boeng Kak community rallied in front of the National Assembly yesterday to demand the release of 13 women sentenced to jail last week and two others now in pretrial detention for opposing evictions resulting from a real estate project owned by a ruling party senator. The demonstration made good on the community’s vow to continue protesting against the evictions from Boeng Kak even though such activity had led to the arrest of the 15—several of whom had been leading the community’s demonstrations. Outside the National Assembly, protesters held up banners reading “Free the 15” and “Stop the violence.” “We will continue to protest until they release the 15 people,” said Yorm Bopha, one of the protesters. “We are very worried that the police will arrest us too, but we have no choice. We have to protest to demand their release.” …
