Slight change of plans

A few thousand opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party supporters marched through central Phnom Penh yesterday as the party held its largest public gathering in the capital since protesters were chased out of Freedom Park in early January. Although Prime Minister Hun Sen suggested in late February that a ban on public assembly in the capital had been lifted, authorities had denied a request from the CNRP to hold a “people’s congress” at Freedom Park yesterday, citing ongoing investigations into clashes at protests on January 2 and 3 that left at least four dead. … With security forces deployed in droves to Freedom Park to thwart any attempt to defy the ban, CNRP leaders decided to hold the congress at their Meanchey district headquarters instead, and following the ceremony at Wat Botum, led a few thousand supporters on a boisterous, hour-long traipse through the city. … Prominent human rights group Amnesty International on Saturday had called on the government to allow yesterday’s assemblies, and a protest planned by independent broadcaster Mam Sonando for today, to “take place without undue interference and without harassment from security forces”. General Khieu Sopheak, spokesman at the Interior Ministry, yesterday said that the authorities had “followed the [CNRP] march very closely”. “We didn’t take any action to stop the march, but [we] just monitored. If they march and if they stand still to occupy any space, action should be taken,” he said. City Hall spokesman Long Dimanche said the Phnom Penh Municipality considered the march illegal and had received traffic complaints, but that authorities were trying to be “patient”. …

 Meas Sokchea and Kevin Ponniah
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/slight-change-plans