*PM Flexes Party Muscle in Response to Protest Threat* *Khmer Times / Ven Rathavong | Monday, 25 January 2016 | 12 views*
Prime Minister Hun Sen responded to a Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) community organizer yesterday who intends to demonstrate against the Premier during the joint ASEAN-US summit in California in mid-February, saying that while he welcomed the young man’s protest, CNRP leaders should keep his party’s own demonstration capabilities in mind. The exchange between Brady Young, a former Long Beach City College student, and Mr. Hun Sen occurred on Facebook yesterday. Mr. Young is the CNRP’s community organizer in Southern California. In a Facebook comment, he wrote, “Hello Samdech [Mr. Hun Sen], I want to tell you that we are Khmer-American. We are organizing a non-violent demonstration in order to welcome your presence to California.” The ASEAN-US summit will take place next month from the 15th to the 18th in Sunnylands, California, and will be attended by the leaders of the ten ASEAN countries as well as representatives of the United States. Responding to Mr. Young’s claims, the Prime Minister, who is leader of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), was encouraging, but stood to remind the organizer of his party’s power. “If you [Mr. Young] think that the demonstration against me [will] provide benefit, please follow your heart, because it is your skill,” he said. “What you should remember and tell to your bosses both inside and outside the country is that they should recognize the rights of demonstration of my supporters against your leaders in the country.” He went on to write that CPP demonstrations in the opposition leader’s regard could be possible within the country. The response is akin to one he gave last October while on a state visit to France. Mr. Hun Sen was met by hundreds of protesters in Paris on his arrival, and told a crowd later on that the CPP would respond with its own protest in Cambodia. A day later, on October 26, thousands of CPP supporters gathered in front of the National Assembly to protest opposition leader Kem Sokha’s position as vice president of the governing body. During the protest, two CNRP lawmakers were dragged out of their cars and viciously beaten by members of the protest. Mr. Sokha was voted out of his post by CPP lawmakers just three days later. CNRP spokesman Yem Ponhearith denied that the CNRP had any plans to organize demonstrations in the US during the coming month. “The CNRP has no intent to organize any demonstrations in the US or inside the country,” he said. “We are finding resolutions to all problems in order to move forward toward peaceful national elections,” he said, adding that the main goal of the CNRP is to enforce the culture of dialogue. Mr. Ponhearith said that he was not concerned with any protests that might be held by CPP supporters. “It is the right of the people,” he said. CPP spokesman Sok Ey San told Khmer Times that his party does not have any plans to demonstrate against CNRP leaders. “If there was a demonstration against Samdech in California, our members and supporters in Cambodia could have the right to demonstrate against opposition leaders in response in Cambodia,” he said. Mr. Ey San added that it would be up to CPP supporters to protect the reputation of their leaders and to fight against any incitement undertaken by the CNRP. In a statement released late yesterday, the opposition party said, “The CNRP would like to inform the national and international public that the party has no policy or plan to allow members and supporters of the CNRP in the United States and Canada to prepare for demonstrations against the visit of Prime Minister Hun Sen to the United States in mid-February. Therefore, all members and leaders of the CNRP in the US and Canada should follow this.” -- Best Regards, *Khmer Forum* *A place for sharing community events and public news.* -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Cambodia Discussion (CAMDISC) - www.cambodia.org" group. This is an unmoderated forum. Please refrain from using foul language. Thank you for your understanding. Peace among us and in Cambodia. To post to this group, send email to camdisc@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to camdisc-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/camdisc Learn more - http://www.cambodia.org --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Cambodia Discussion (CAMDISC) - www.cambodia.org" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to camdisc+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
