Former Resistance Launches Social Club

More than 140 former royalist resistance fighters and politicians formed a club on Thursday to assist the families of dead Fun­cinpec soldiers and supporters who have fallen on hard times, party members said.

Second Deputy Senate Presi­dent and one-time commander of resistance forces Nhiek Bun Chhay was elected to lead the club after a vote was taken by 149 people who attended the meeting at a restaurant in Phnom Penh’s Prek Leap area.

“This club is just for social work and is not involved in politics,” Nhiek Bun Chhay said on Friday “This social work will mobilize support from the resistance supporters and from the people to help the former resistance people across the country.”

Kandal Governor Tep Non­nary, Interior Ministry Secre­tary of State Kieng Vang and RCAF Major General Yim Savy were selected to be vice-presidents.

The club is now working on producing by-laws and statutes, Nhiek Bun Chhay said.

Funcinpec spokesman Kol Pheng said on Friday he was unaware of the club and declined to comment further.

Controversial Funcinpec lawmaker Keo Remy lauded the launch of the club and said the royalist party’s former fighters and civil supporters had been ignored too long.

“These people set up the Funcinpec movement at the beginning…Funcinpec was born out of the bloodshed of the thousands of activists who made sacrifices for the party in order to liberate the country and bring Cambodia the monarchy,” Keo Remy said.

“We cannot forget them…. They don’t just want money they want warmth from the party leaders,” he said.

A source close to the Interior Ministry said police are already investigating the club.

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