Alleged Violent Protest Provocateur Charged
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Tuesday charged a man with committing violence under aggravating circumstances after he was detained by protesters at a demonstration in Phnom Penh on Sunday and handed over to police on suspicion of instigating violence at the rally near Freedom Park. Pheng Pha, 32, was one of two men detained by protesters who suspected him of trying to stir up trouble, which would have given security forces an excuse to use force on the crowd of peaceful union supporters. … Mr. Pha has been placed in pretrial detention at Prey Sar prison. … The protest went ahead despite a government ban on all protests and demonstrations. After more than an hour’s standoff on Sunday morning at the protest site between protesters and district security guards, a scuffle along the front lines did ignite a brief but violent clash. A few of the protesters were bloodied, bruised and trampled in the melee with the security guards, backed up by civilian thugs, who used batons and threw stones at demonstrators and journalists.
Eang Mengleng
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/alleged-violent-protest-provocateur-charged-51106/
