Police Ready For Pro, Anti-Hun Sen Protest

Phnom Penh could be set for a showdown between pro- and anti-Hun Sen groups as the fall-out from last week’s anti-Thai riots appears threateningly close to being settled on the streets be­tween unions allegedly representing thousands of Cambodian workers, students and farmers.

The potential for trouble in­creased Friday with the an­noun­cement by seven pro-Hun Sen union leaders that they will take action to counter “extremists” who are attempting a “coup d’état” against the prime minister.

“We are ready for a big demonstration, nationwide, to protest against the extremists that cause unending damage to the country and its people,” Pro-Hun Sen union leaders said at a press conference on Friday.

The unions said they would send “spies” to Sunday’s meeting of the recently-formed Cambodia Watchdog Council—a group of five unions who are scheduled to decide on what protest action might be taken to re-enforce their calls for the resignation of Hun Sen and the release of those arrested after the anti-Thai riots.

Watchdog Council members say Hun Sen acted carelessly during last week’s riots and should step down.

Phnom Penh police officials said on Thursday they are preparing thousands of bamboo truncheons ahead of the Council’s Sunday meeting and the possible counter demonstrations by Hun Sen-aligned groups.

Police riot teams sped around Phnom Penh on Friday in what Interior Ministry sources said were preparations for the protests.

The pro-Hun Sen Pagoda Boys Association also said they would mobilize 4,000 students in reaction to any demonstrations calling for the premier’s removal, which they branded “unconstitutional.”

“We would like to strongly condemn the group that attempts to demand Hun Sen’s resignation. These demands…are equal to a coup. That is unacceptable and unforgivable,” Pagoda Boys’ leader Yi Mao said in a statement on Friday.

Claiming to have 200,000 members, the Pro-Hun Sen union leaders at Friday’s press conference also branded the Watchdog Council “extremists” and “puppets” of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party whose sole purpose was to cause instability in Cam­bodia.

“They must not strike and push out my Prime Minister Hun Sen from power. He is legally elected by all people. If they try to do that, we will try to do something back,” said Chuon Mom Thol, leader of Cambodian Union Federation and spokesman at the pro-Hun Sen union press conference.

Chuon Mom Thol claimed the government will soon have the evidence to arrest the “extremist” politicians behind the riots.

Though refraining from naming the “extremist” suspects, Chuon Mom Thol said they were from a party that always causes trouble in Cambodia.

Despite widespread condemnation among foreign diplomats of Cambodian security forces’ apparent failure to react to the riots, Chuon Mom Thol defended Hun Sen’s handling of the situation, saying there was no benefit for the government in what took place.

“Can you burn your [own] house? It’s like Hun Sen…. How can he burn his house? You stay in your house, you build your house. How can you burn your house?” he said.

Deputy Municipal Police Chief Muong Khim said on Friday that Phnom Penh police units were waiting to see if the demonstrations actually take place, but police are already prepared for a possible confrontation between the opposing groups.

Dozens of pledges of support, bearing hundreds of signatures, for Hun Sen’s continued role as prime minister—from unions representing students, teachers, private schools and Cambodian NGOs—were submitted to the Cambodia Daily offices on Friday by an individual who identified himself as a member of staff at the Council of Ministers.

However, staff at the Council of Minister’s press office later denied they were involved in distributing the documents.

(Addi­tional reporting by Lor Chandara)

 

 

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