Untrained guards rule at protests
Security guards that have forcibly detained protesters in the capital in recent weeks include large numbers of men who have received no government security training, Phnom Penh municipal spokesman Long Dimanche said yesterday. In an effort to recruit civilian “public order” officers, Dimanche told the Post, the Ministry of Interior had issued a directive telling City Hall to stop hiring security guards through private companies. … As crackdowns on public gatherings have intensified since the fatal shooting of at least four striking garment workers by authorities on January 3, an increasing number of security personnel in nondescript uniforms have joined those in familiar Daun Penh district security attire to forcibly break up demonstrations and make arrests. Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan told the Post on Tuesday that security guards involved in detaining protesters had been hired by City Hall. …
Khouth Sophak Chakrya and Shane Worrell
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/untrained-guards-rule-protests
