Well, for now at least…
The gathering organised by the Working Group for Peace (WGP) had some difficulty getting to get started because a huge police force showed up at 7:00AM at Wat Phnom where WGP had planned to celebrate World Peace Day. But the authorities are quite edgy these days… They kicked out Prince Sisowath Thomico during his short-lived hunger strike from the same spot during the night already. After some hesitation and regrouping the manifestation took place along the Tonle Sap. Some 250 people meditated and prayed before marching towards the Royal Palace.
Meanwile, on the Southern side of the Palace, a group of 40 people was carrying a petition organised by the opposition CNRP and signed by 35,000 citizens asking the King to postpone monday’s first parliamentry session after the 2013 elections.
Both groups were blocked by important police forces. A representative finally was allowed to deliver a message to the King, but not the loads of paper with the thumbprints.
Officially the police forces are there to protect the King. Or are they preventing the King to see what is happening in the streets?
The other 2013 elections photographs are HERE.
Posted Saturday Sep 21, 2013, in
Latest Productions |
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Prince Sisowath Thomico, a member of the opposition CNRP (and ousted from the FUNCINPEC a few years ago), planned to start a hunger strike at the riverfront pagoda this morning at 10:00 to protest the results of the 2013 parliamentary election results, but he had to revise his plan and settle for Wat Phnom.
Only the pigeons in front of the Royal Palace will not complain about the police blocking access to Sisowath Quay yet again, causing major traffic jams in the streets West of the Palace.
UPDATE: Police forces evicted Prince Sisowath Thomico from Wat Phnom during the night, possibly having arrested a few monks in the process.
The other 2013 elections photographs are HERE.
Posted Friday Sep 20, 2013, in
Latest Productions |
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A little less than 100 monks tried to reach the Royal Palace in the afternoon to pray for peace and to ask King Sihamoni to postpone the opening session of the National Assembly. The newly elected opposition CNRP MP’s refuse to attend as their demands for an independent investigation regarding the frauds during the 2013 legislative elections were not met.
The monks were blocked by police barricades and meditated and prayed for some 30 to 45 minutes on the road.
The other 2013 elections photographs are HERE.
Here are a few second takes from the 3 day long demonstrations by the opposition CNRP at Freedom Park, protesting the 2013 legislative elecions.
All the other photographs of the 2013 elections can be seen HERE on my regularly updated website…
Posted Wednesday Sep 18, 2013, in
Latest Productions |
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The three days of mass protest at Freedom Park organised by the opposition CNRP are over… Finished… Until next time. For sure the protest was a success in terms of numbers of participants and of levels of enthusiasm. If they provided the leverage needed for the CNRP in the discussions between the ruling CPP and the CNRP leaders held during two consecutive mornings is still uncertain: nothing spectacular came out of those meetings so far. Also, the disproportionate deployment of police forces and the unprofessional handling of at least one conflictual situation (the one near the Norodom flyover) resulted in the death of one young man and several injured. A totally useless death. Unnecessary. Revolting even.
The other 2013 elections photographs are HERE.
Posted Tuesday Sep 17, 2013, in
Latest Productions |
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But who are these thousands of people flocking to Freedom Park for the last day of the CNRP rally protesting the outcome of the 2013 legislative elections? What is Sam Rainsy’s voter base? For sure very few middle class show up at Freedom Park. There are many middle-aged people from the countryside. The younger ones work in a garment factory. Here is a small sample of those supporters before the rally really heats up…
For sure the attendance surpasses the one of the previous day. A last load of CNRP pressure during the second morning of talks between the CPP and the CNRP leadership at the National Assembly which ended at noon.
The other 2013 elections photographs are HERE.
The atmosphere at Freedom Park, where thousands of opposition CNRP supporters are gathered during three days to protest the results of the 2013 legislative elections they claim were widely rigged, was definitely cheerfull after their leaders had a 5-hour meeting with the leaders of the ruling CPP. The announcement by Yim Sovann, CNRP MP, of an agreement about the restructuring of the National Election Committee definitely was a hit. Sam Rainsy, CNRP President, then asked for one minute of silence to remember the death of 29 year old Mao Chan who was killed by a police bullet the previous night when a mob tried to destroy a barbed wire fence preventing them from returning home after work.
The other 2013 elections photographs are HERE.
CNRP supporters who stayed the night woke up in a chilly morning at Freedom Park, reading yesterday’s newspaper about last night’s death of a young man who was shot by the police in a serious incident when the police fired repeatedly on people who wanted to tear down a barbed wire barricade set up by the police to reach their home.
Meanwhile at the National Assembly, the ruling CPP and the opposition CNRP held a 5 hour long meeting. A brief statement at its issue said that both parties agree on a reform of the National Election Committee and the voter’s lists, on halting violence during the coming days, and on continuing the negotiations.
The other 2013 elections photographs are HERE.
