Phnom Penh – Mixed security forces in the southern Cambodian province of Preah Sihanouk opened fire on protesters on Thursday after they burned tires, threw makeshift Molotov cocktails and blocked roads sparked by a Supreme Court decision to award a land title to several local families.
Some 100 soldiers, police and military police arrived in Koki village in Preah Sihanouk’s Bet Trang commune, opening fire on protesters and critically injuring at least one person, 28-year-old Pov Saroth, a construction worker.
The land was awarded to nine families, but the surrounding area is claimed by politically connected tycoons, leading locals to question the true nature of the court decision.
