Ministry: Sam Rainsy to be held responsible if protest leads to violence

Cambodia’s Interior Minister Sar Kheng warned the opposition party leader and his supporters that they will be held responsible if their planned mass demonstration against election results leads to violence and destruction of public and private properties. “A peaceful protest against any issues is the freedom of all Cambodian citizens as stipulated in the constitution,” Sar Kheng wrote in a letter sent to Sam Rainsy on Thursday. “But the protestors have to respect all aspects of the law regarding demonstrations.” “If a protest leads to violence, destruction of national security and the destruction of public or private property as well as social order, the protest leaders and those who caused the trouble will be held responsible before the law,” he added. Sar Kheng warned Sam Rainsy, the President of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), because he had urged all of his CNRP supporters to join a mass demonstration to protest against the election results. Sam Rainsy has not yet announced the date of the demonstration, but many Cambodians fear that any mass protest might lead to violence. …

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