The SRP has accused Russei Keo district police of wrongly removing and damaging an SRP sign in Phnom Penh on Sunday.
SRP lawmaker for Phnom Penh Sok Soty said Russei Keo district police tore down the sign in Chroy Changva commune near the Cambodian-Japanese Friendship Bridge.
“This is the second time that our sign was taken down by authorities at the same place, and [they] damaged it,” Sok Soty said Monday, referring to an incident in March when SRP lawmaker Ho Vann was struck with a baton as authorities took down the sign.
“They are afraid of the SRP because our party is becoming popular, and they are trying to stop SRP actions,” Sok Soty added.
However, district police chief Chey Sosela said that the sign was torn down both times because the SRP had no permission to place it there.
“They violated the law and we had it [torn down] by a high officer’s order,” he said. He declined to name the official who issued the order.
“We did not arrest anyone, just solved the problem,” he continued. “The authorities will allow SRP to put up a sign if they have permission,” he added.
Ly Rozamy, who became deputy governor of Russei Keo district after defecting from the SRP to CPP earlier this year, accused his former party of frequently putting up signs without the proper paperwork.
“We have to stop them because they do not have permission from the authorities,” she said, noting that the SRP’s sign is now in police custody.
“The SRP used their political party power to do something that violates the law,” she said.
