Cambodia opposition protests cool down

A VNA reporter in Phnom Penh on December 15 said the protest called by the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) has cooled down.

According to CNRP's plan, the protest on the same day will have tens of thousands of participants, starting to gather at Democracy Square from 6:00 a.m. and by 2:00 p.m. they will march on the streets, calling on Prime Minister Hun Sen's Government to hold a re-election for the 5th National Assembly.

A protest by the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) in central Phnom Penh. (Photo: AFP/VNA)

However, by the end of the day the number of protesters in Democracy Square only fluctuated between 3,000 and 4,000 people and only a few CNRP leaders appeared.

The march was originally scheduled to start at 3 p.m., but it was not until 5 p.m. that CNRP President Sam Rainsy and Vice President Kem Sokha appeared and led the march with only about 3,000 participants to Orsay Market and then back near Democracy Square.

Here, Mr. Sam Rainsy gave a speech to encourage his supporters and declared that he would continue to protest daily to force the government to hold new elections.

The CNRP is expected to continue to ignore the authorities' ban on marches and march on the streets of Phnom Penh like previous protests.

However, before the December 15 protest took place, Phnom Penh City Hall unexpectedly allowed protesters to march on some designated streets.

In a statement, Phnom Penh City Hall noted that in order to ensure security, safety and public order, the city government called on people, state and private units around the protest area to be patient, restrained and avoid conflicts. On the other hand, the City Hall also instructed local authorities and armed forces to thoroughly grasp their responsibilities and seriously carry out their tasks to ensure security, safety and order in the capital.

Last week, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sar Kheng, a member of the Standing Committee of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), said the government was still open to negotiations with the CNRP but would definitely not agree to the opposition's proposal for a re-election./.

According to VNA