World Environment Day on Thursday was marked by protests in Phnom Penh, as more than 500 people took to the streets in three separate demonstrations demanding a halt to deforestation, higher wages and the construction of a road near a filled-in lake.
More than 300 people gathered near the Ministry of Environment, where after a nearly three-hour standoff, authorities eventually allowed 10 people to deliver a petition calling for measures to curb deforestation.
About 200 workers who lost their jobs at a garment factory were blocked from marching to the Ministry of Labor to deliver a petition demanding more compensation from their factory, which has temporarily suspended operations due to a drop in orders from brands including Gap.
Residents of Phnom Penh’s Boeng Tompun commune delivered a petition to City Hall asking that a concrete road be constructed in their community after local officials ignored their request.
