The Cambodian Confederation of Unions plans to host a protest Wednesday marking what many see as the one-year anniversary of the Preah Vihear standoff, the confederation’s president said, adding it will happen regardless of whether Phnom Penh City Hall approves.
CCU President Rong Chhun on Monday said he wrote to Municipal Governor Kep Chuktema stating more than 150 participants would gather at about 8 am in front of the former National Assembly building on Sothearos Boulevard and urge Thailand to pull out from the disputed border area. In an interview, he said the group would go ahead with the planned rally regardless of what the municipality decided.
“We want to show our hatred against the Thai invasion and we want to demand the Thais withdraw immediately. We won’t do anything against the government. We won’t provoke any social disorder,” he said.
“We just want to show our anger. The City Hall authorities must understand us because we are doing it for our country,” he added.
Mr Chuktema could not be reached Monday and Deputy Governor Pa Socheatvong said he was too busy.
On July 15, 2008, three Thai protesters entered the then locked-down temple and were briefly detained by Cambodian police. That move, Cambodia officials claimed, prompted as many as 100 Thai soldiers to enter the country, with some trekking to the Cambodian-made Buddhist pagoda within 200 meters of Preah Vihear temple. Both sides escalated their military presence and have remained there since that day.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Koy Kuong said he did not believe the politically-charged rally would help or hinder the ongoing negotiations between the neighboring countries. However, the decision to allow the demonstration is ultimately that of City Hall, he said.
“This protest would not speed up any solutions between Thailand and Cambodia,” he said. “This is to remind [people of the] one-year anniversary. This is expressing nationalism.”
Defense Attache Chanavut Budkinnaree at the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh said he was too busy and had no comment.
(Additional reporting by Frank Radosevich)
