Phnom Penh: CNRP’s Sunday 'tsunami'

[webfact]

CNRP’s Sunday ‘tsunami’

PHNOM PENH: -- A crowd of more than 100,000 demonstrators took to Phnom Penh’s streets yesterday, calling for new elections or the resignation of Prime Minister Hun Sen in the biggest outpouring of support for the Cambodia National Rescue Party since opposition leader Sam Rainsy returned from self-imposed exile in July.

Estimates of the size of the crowd varied widely, with Rainsy writing on his Facebook page that “about 500,000” people had joined the march. “A political tsunami has started in Cambodia,” Rainsy told supporters before the rally began.

Even the government, which usually provides conservative figures of attendance at opposition protests, recognised the scale of yesterday’s demonstration.

Long Dimanche, Phnom Penh Municipality spokesman, said he estimated that about 100,000 people took part in the march.

Rally-goers were in high spirits as they left Freedom Park at about 2:45pm and headed south along the arterial Monivong Boulevard.

After more than an hour spent at a standstill, the march continued, turning right onto Mao Tse Toung Boulevard, then north past Olympic Stadium and back to the park.

A significant contingent of monks, increasingly visible at post-election rallies, joined yesterday’s demonstration. The monks have been warned repeatedly by Cambodia’s Great Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong that taking part in the rallies could lead to defrocking.

The CNRP has said it plans to block several major roads into the capital as part of the daily protests, which enter their ninth day today, and the temporary blockage of one of the city’s main thoroughfares came under fire from the authorities yesterday.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/cnrps-sunday-tsunami/


-- Thai PBS 2013-12-23

[waza]

Good to see democratic sentiment is spreading and the days of SEA dictators are numbered.

Mutual dictator love

Redshirts love Hun Sen too

[canopus1969]

Good for them

[Jip99]

Good to see democratic sentiment is spreading and the days of SEA dictators are numbered.

Thaksin receives medal from Hun Sen.jpg Mutual dictator love

Red shirts soccer in PPenh 09 (Reuters).jpg Redshirts love Hun Sen too

If only that were true.

I suspect that Hun Sen is capable of severe retribution.

Nevertheless, it is encouraging to see the people of Cambodia expressing their democratic right.

[Spare]

Strange. These mostly poor Cambodian wanted an election. In Thailand, we are fighting to avoid one (election).

[spirit47]

Strange. These mostly poor Cambodian wanted an election. In Thailand, we are fighting to avoid one (election).

Maybe they want vote money? (Thats a joke...)

[waza]

Strange. These mostly poor Cambodian wanted an election. In Thailand, we are fighting to avoid one (election).

Actually both countries want free and fair elections followed by democratic rule from a people centered government.

"The Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), an alliance of opposition groups, vowed on Sunday to hold protests every day until the prime minister steps down or calls for a new election. They urged Hun Sen to follow the lead of Thailand Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who last week dissolved parliament and called for snap elections."

Whats the point of another election that results in the same corrupt party ruling with the same corrupt agenda?

[Sheryl]

Strange. These mostly poor Cambodian wanted an election. In Thailand, we are fighting to avoid one (election).

Cambodians are not "mostly poor", it's about 30-32% that are below the poverty line,. Which is still a lot, and more than in Thailand, but is not most people. Lots of middle class support for the CNRP.

They had an election already...just not a fair one. While Thai elections don't seem to be marred by more than vote buying, the regime in Camb goes in for heavy handed tactics. Peopel were refused the right to cast their ballot, other people voted in their place, ballot boxes were tampered with and so forth. Every election some of this but the last one was especially egregious.

[Sheryl]

Strange. These mostly poor Cambodian wanted an election. In Thailand, we are fighting to avoid one (election).

Actually both countries want free and fair elections followed by democratic rule from a people centered government.

"The Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), an alliance of opposition groups, vowed on Sunday to hold protests every day until the prime minister steps down or calls for a new election. They urged Hun Sen to follow the lead of Thailand Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who last week dissolved parliament and called for snap elections."

Whats the point of another election that results in the same corrupt party ruling with the same corrupt agenda?

Well in Cambodia, a fair election would not have that result. It would lead to a change in govt. How well the new folks would do, remains to be seen, but odds are an improvement in terms of corruption. That is certainly the hope.

In Thailand it seems that no matter who wins, the govt that follows is corrupt. I don't recall a lack of corruption during the Dem's reign either....

[Briggsy]

Uh oh, Cambodians don't do political conflicts for very long before the killing starts. This will turn very nasty. I wonder if there will be a repeat of the incident in which Sam Rainsy was only saved by the intervention of 2 of his bodyguards. Over a decade ago that now.

[waza]

Strange. These mostly poor Cambodian wanted an election. In Thailand, we are fighting to avoid one (election).

Actually both countries want free and fair elections followed by democratic rule from a people centered government.

"The Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), an alliance of opposition groups, vowed on Sunday to hold protests every day until the prime minister steps down or calls for a new election. They urged Hun Sen to follow the lead of Thailand Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who last week dissolved parliament and called for snap elections."

Whats the point of another election that results in the same corrupt party ruling with the same corrupt agenda?

Well in Cambodia, a fair election would not have that result. It would lead to a change in govt. How well the new folks would do, remains to be seen, but odds are an improvement in terms of corruption. That is certainly the hope.

In Thailand it seems that no matter who wins, the govt that follows is corrupt. I don't recall a lack of corruption during the Dem's reign either....

Like Thailand, Cambodia has a lack of checks and balances the governments must follow to ensure the democratic process is adhered to. One can only guess that if free and fair election were held and a new governments installed that those checks and balances will be instituted. I agree that the Hun Sen government to too eager to resort to violence as was clearly demonstrated during the last protests, even against monks.

[SOTIRIOS]

...sounds very similar to__________.......and it has been said that they are very close to___________........

[Sheryl]

Uh oh, Cambodians don't do political conflicts for very long before the killing starts. This will turn very nasty. I wonder if there will be a repeat of the incident in which Sam Rainsy was only saved by the intervention of 2 of his bodyguards. Over a decade ago that now.

Bodyguard gave his life in the process

And that was not the only attempt on his life. He was also dragged into the Ministry of Interior to be shot at one point, managed to call his wife as it was happening and she was able to mobilize high level interference from several Ambassadors in the nick of time. It was very close.

[bangarang]

lol... get your self together cambodia... thailand isn't done with its rally yet. Stop trying to hog the spotlight.

[sscsamui]

I believe the Cambodian people want a Fair election and Not a Rigged Election..

[1ma]

Whats the point of another election that results in the same corrupt party ruling with the same corrupt agenda?

Fair Democracy, leaders voted in by the majority?

Ps, just to let you know, there isn't one non-corrupt party in the land.

[mrdome]

Cambodians are not "mostly poor", it's about 30-32% that are below the poverty line,. Which is still a lot, and more than in Thailand, but is not most people.

Excuse the OT comment but since the mod started, I had to dig a little deeper.

Let's put things in perspective, the international poverty line is set at US$1.25 a day. Anyone above it will no longer count but even if you have $2 a day, that is crushingly poor.

The minimum wage in Phnom Penh is just over $60 a month and is really not enough to take care of your bare necessities after sending some money home, which most have to do to provide support for siblings back home.

So, I don't see how you cannot call the majority of Cambodians "mostly poor" - I would even call them "extremely poor". And of course, the divide between them and the 'fat cat' families with connections is ever growing, as the have nots will never amass as much as a pot to pi** in, to put it bluntly.