The crackdown of opposing voices continues. Tep Vanny, Yorm Bopha, Bop Chorvy, Sok Serey Leap, and Pan Chunreth, land rights activists from the Boeung Kak Lake community were arrested on their way to the French Embassy to ask help for the release of those arrested the previous days (see HERE and HERE).
Sorry for the pictures not being very sharp…
UPDATE: All five would be released the same afternoon after signing an agreement that they would not protest during the ‘bad situation’ and that they should be ‘good people’.
Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha, opposition CNRP co-Presidents, major CNRP representatives and some 400 followers attended a ceremony honouring the workers killed during the Veng Sreng road crackdown (see HERE) at the CNRP headquarters. At the issue of the ceremony Sam Rainsy vowed to continue to put pressure on the current government, saying that the CNRP will continue in a straight line, but sidestepping to avoid the traps laid by the CPP.
After the brutal crackdown (see HERE) yesterday on striking workers at Veng Sreng road in the industrial area of Phnom Penh, resulting in three dead, many wounded and several arrested, the government flexes more heavy muscles by replacing the gendarmerie at Veng Sreng road by heavily armed military units and by having Freedom Park, which was the core of the opposition CNRP demonstrations throughout the past weeks, evacuated by a band of municipal workers armed with steel bars and other various weapons.
At least 3 people were shot dead and several were severely injured by hundreds of bullets fired by armed forces during a brutal crackdown in the morning of January 3rd on barricades set up by thousands of striking workers on Veng Sren road, in the industrial area of Phnom Penh. Several others were arrested and subsequently tasered, beaten up or beaten unconscious.
The confrontation continued through midday.
The striking garment factory workers are still determined to push for an 80$ rise in salary and keep protesting in front of their factories. Things turned ugly at the Yakjin Factory this morning when Unit 911 from the Royal Cambodian Forces (RCAF) cracked down on the protest and beat up workers. Activist and Union Leader Voan Pov was wounded and arrested, together with several buddhist monks. A long stand-off between workers and the military lasted until 5:00 PM, with the U.N. mediating to calm things down and with monks and land activists from the Boeung Kak lake community adding to the chorus of protests, until everyone decided to go and block road Nr4 yet again.
Meanwhile, less than 10Km from there, workers at the Canadia factory complex started to protest violently.
But Bunthen, a dissident buddhist monk, was detained by the authorities and seems not be allowed to go freely.
The other 2013 elections photographs are HERE.
Garment factory workers on a strike regarding wages blocked road Nr2 at Chak Angre for 3 hours.
Road Nr4 was also blocked by workers and cleared by military police, beating several demonstrators and at least one photojournalist and arresting several.
The other 2013 elections photographs are HERE.
The 2013 Cambodian elections aftermath story on my website was updated x the latest developments HERE.
Posted Thursday Jan 02, 2014, in
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Cambodian garment factory workers on a strike to see their salaries take a hike to 160$ per month were demonstrating in front of the Ministry of Labour in Phnom Penh, blocking Russian Boulevard. The arrival of riot police did not interrupt the 3.000 strong demonstration which also attracted an important contingent of stingy shell or steamed corn sellers… The protest dissolved around 2:00PM, with the workers promising to protest again on January 2nd.
Have a happy New Year and enjoy the truce if truce there will be.
More on the garment factory strikes HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE and also HERE.
