Hotel Shuts Down Asean NGO Panels

Four workshops at the Asean Peoples’ Forum concerning pressing issues such as land rights and events in Burma were blocked by the owner of the venue where the forum was being held on Friday, as they were considered too politically sensitive, the organizer said. Out of the 25 workshops scheduled to take place at the three-day forum, which ends Saturday, the meetings on land rights, mass evictions, environmental concerns and recent events in Burma were deemed too controversial by the owner of the Lucky Star Hotel in Tuol Kok district. “The hotel said it’s politically sensitive and they don’t want the issues discussed in their hotel. They said the issues are for the country’s leaders to resolve, not for us to discuss,” said Thida Khus, head of local rights NGO Silaka and head of the planning committee of the forum. … Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers, said he had “no idea” if government officials had given the order to shut down the workshops. …