Wednesday night’s riots began with a demonstration of students and youths outside the Thai Embassy in the morning. Angered by unsubstantiated reports that a Thai television actress had made disparaging remarks about Cambodia and Angkor Wat, the youths burned tires and poster effigies of the actress. The group moved from the Thai Embassy to the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Culture, as well as TV5 and TV3 demanding an apology from Suvanant Kongying.
Municipal police and embassy security looked on Wednesday as Vong Namly, a Norton University tourism student, doused a Thai flag in gasoline and held a lighter against cloth, which was already soiled from being kicked and spat upon. “I burn the Thai flag because I want to inform other Thai guys who hate Cambodian culture that I hate Thai guys who look down on Cambodia,” he said.
Earlier in the day, municipal police officer Loung Vandy said he supported the demonstration because it showed support of Cambodian unity.
Although few students said they actually heard the actress make the unverified comments, many were convinced by newspaper reports and a radio broadcasted speech by Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday that the quote was uttered.
“Prime Minister Hun Sen said it. It must be true,” said Yos Katank, a French student at Royal University of Phnom Penh.
In a speech in Kompong Cham on Wednesday, Hun Sen did not mention the controversy.
Students attributed Wednesday’s large turnout to fliers passed around university campuses, said Chouu Thearith, a National Institute for Management student.
Later, the band of bikers zipped along the riverfront waving Cambodian flags and ripping up promotions for Thai products. Some waved signs screaming, “Learn your culture, Siam girl!”
Police dispersed the group of students from TV3 after they kicked and hit the station’s sign. The gang of protesters then scooted off to each of the city’s stations, where police were deployed, a TV3 security officer said. Approximately 20 protesters used rocks to smash the lighted Thai Airways signs on Mao Tse-tung Boulevard in the afternoon, one witness said.
Before the evening’s rioting and looting began, senior Thai Embassy officials contacted the ministries of Information and Foreign Affairs in Bangkok Wednesday asking for a resolution to the issue, First Secretary Nathapol Nopakum said.
Nin Sim, assistant to Minister of Tourism Veng Sereyvuth, said he was “concerned over the image youth were portraying of the country” but was confident that the government and students would resolve the issue.
