[Cambodia] Students in safety protest

More than 500 students and teachers from two high schools in Banteay Meanchey province’s Sisophon district took to the streets on Friday demanding better safety around schools after a truck crashed into a rice mill near one of the schools, injuring a man.

The students and teachers, from two schools in O’Ambel commune, rallied outside O’Ambel High School, demanding that authorities keep areas around schools safe from large trucks.

“They’re demanding a ban on trucks, because this area is at the bottom of a hill and they’re worried about their safety,†said the town’s police chief, Siv Socheat. “It’s the first time students here have protested like this.â€

Sam Chinda, one of the students protesting outside the school, said large trucks often drove in the area, with the group fearing more accidents if nothing was done to address the problem.

“We need safety at school. We’re afraid big trucks are going to cause more accidents,†Chinda said, adding that students were scared to cross the road to their schools.

Pich Ban, O’Ambel commune chief, said that provincial officials had agreed to listen to the students’ complaints and would make arrangements for big trucks to travel different routes.