A minor melee mars day’s events
A day of peaceful demonstrations gave way to an evening of unrest last night as a handful of protesters were removed from a small patch of land across from the United States embassy and a grup of uninvolved people threw Molotov cocktails towards riot police at Wat Phnom.
Shortly after a Cambodia National Rescue Party rally marking International Human Rights Day ended at noon, some 300 people gathered in front of the US embassy, waving opposition party flags. …
By 7pm, a group of about 15 people remained there, sitting down and lighting candles on carpet laid out on grass, while demanding justice and freedom. …
About 20 Daun Penh district security guards stood in formation directly next to the protesters, with one using a loud speaker on top of his car to cajole the sitting demonstrators into dispersing. If they left now, there would be no violence, the guard said. They could come back the next day. …
As Ouk Pichsamnang, a barber and former soldier, stood up among his sitting counterparts, telling police they would stay regardless of the consequences, more than 200 armed riot police gathered at Wat Phnom. …
Daun Penh district security guards took the 11 to nearby Moha Leap guesthouse to stay the night, said Moeun Tola of the Community Legal Education Center, who spoke with Veng, one of those removed from the scene. The group later opted to spend the night at Wat Keang Klang, Tola said. …
Khouth Sophak Chakrya and Sean Teehan
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/minor-melee-mars-day%E2%80%99s-events
