Farmers blocked from petitioning Red Cross
Municipal and military police on Wednesday blocked a group of about 100 displaced farmers from Kratie province who were attempting to deliver a petition to the Cambodian Red Cross’ Phnom Penh headquarters calling on the group to help them in their land dispute with a Vietnamese rubber firm. About 50 police and military police officers, wielding riot shields and electric batons, met the group of villagers at about 8:30 a.m. near the Samakki Raingsey pagoda, where they have been temporarily taking shelter, and ordered them to return to the pagoda. … Since being evicted on May 2 by Vietnamese firm Binh Phuoc 2, the group of farmers, whose cause has been championed by opposition leader Sam Rainsy, has launched a campaign in Phnom Penh attempting to deliver petitions to various government bodies and embassies to help resolve their land dispute. Phnom Penh deputy governor Khuong Sreng claimed that the group has ulterior motivations, and said he wants them out of the capital city. “We are searching for the truth because those people did not come from Kratie province only, but they came from everywhere to serve the interests of a political party,” he said, in an apparent reference to the opposition CNRP. …
Aun Pheap and George Wright
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/farmers-blocked-from-petitioning-red-cross-59339/
