Opposition Official Arrested Over Petition

[geovalin]

Khmer Times/May Titthara

An opposition official in Kampot was arrested yesterday evening over his involvement in collecting thumbprints for a Royal petition calling for the release of detained human rights officials and politicians in the Kingdom. Trapeang Phleang commune council-member Doung Pon of Chhuk district was arrested and sent to the district police office after undergoing questioning at the commune police station earlier in the day.

Before he was detained, Mr. Pon spoke to Khmer Times via telephone. He explained his role in the petition, saying he had acted on a request from his superiors in the Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) to collect 60 thumbprints from activists living in his community, actions that had already been cleared with local police.

Mr. Pon said he had nearly finished after travelling to six villages within his commune when police started to call him yesterday morning. He said police called his home five times, asking him to appear at the commune police office for questioning. When he ignored these requests at the behest of his CNRP superiors, he said police told him he would be escorted to the police office by officers at 5pm, which ultimately he was.

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