Three Killed as Police Open Fire on Protesters

Source from Cambodia Daily 

By Kuch Naren and Kevin Doyle - January 3, 2014

At least three people were killed Friday morning when police opened fire on several hundred protesters blocking a street at Canadia Industrial Park in Phnom Penh’s Pur Senchey district, police confirmed.

“So far, three are confirmed dead, two injured and two men were arrested by armed forces,” Phnom Penh Municipal Police Chief Chuon Narin said shortly after the incident at about 10 a.m.

Protesters help a man injured during clashes between police and garment workers at Canadia Industrial Park in Phnom Penh’s Pur Senchey district on Friday. Police confirmed three people were killed during the violence. (Siv Channa)

Hundreds of young men and some women armed with sticks, rocks and Molotov cocktails confronted military police armed with AK-47s, riot shields and batons on Friday, following a night of fighting between both sides in the same location.

Barricades continued to burn and rubble was strewn across the road as both sides continued to clash Friday morning and afternoon. A medical clinic was destroyed by the demonstrators—mostly striking garment factory workers—allegedly because the clinic had refused to treat those injured by military police gunfire.

Hundreds of military police are deployed near the entrance of the Canadia Industrial Park, which is the center of the ongoing conflict, and pitched battles continued with military police unable to contain the rioting.

Reports from Thursday night and early Friday morning were that the demonstrators beat back several police assaults to restore order in the area.

According to witnesses, military police gunfire from AK-47 assault rifles was sustained and targeted. Gunshots continued to ring out Friday afternoon. Bullet holes could be seen on the upper floors of an apartment building housing garment factory workers.

Major General Roth Srieng, commander of the Phnom Penh Municipal Military Police, defended the killing of the three people. “We cannot allow them to block the road and we have to crack down on them,” Mr. Srieng said. “We have no choice.”

Last night, military police tried to break up a strike of thousands of striking garment factory workers who have been demanding higher wages at the Canadia Industrial Park.

According to Bun Van, head of the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union, more than 200 military police had moved in with batons, shields and rifles, injuring about 10 workers.

A man was killed and many injured during the clash between authorities with people when they were difficult to access the public road

On Sept 15, 2013 around 10:00 PM, It's reported that a man were killed and got many injure after the people clashed with police at skyroad (Kbal Thnal). The CNRP announced that it's responsible because it's caused from the outsider who wanted to incite people to commit the crime. CNRP suggest the governments' official to take action against inciters. Many people were arrested during the clash. Some news reported that the person who dead was not the demonstrator but the watch-looker of event. 

Arrested people (pic source from doyle_kevin)

Through social media post that the hospital are nearby didn't cure the wounded people. If the hospital committed like that it might lead the anger for the demonstrators. Therefore we would to suggest the government's authority to take action to help the victims and shall find the mastermind who create the worst event. 

The below is the person who killed by the authority. 

Through Radio French International interviewed ADHOC's staff said that the person who acted the problem was not the members of CNRP. The persons who angered the traffic jam near their houses and they wanted to remove the wired fence from the public road. However, the demonstrators left the Freedom to their respective residents and they also crossed this road.

Some news reported that the people have house along that way wanted to get the access home and they negotiated with the authorities to withdraw the wired fence but the  authority denied and then the conflict happened. Following this, the authority used real bullets to kill people.

If the people just wanted access way on the public road why the authority didn't remove the barb wired barricade from the road. This problem might happened from the authorities. We cannot accuse against authorities but the authority are parts to responsible for this event as well. The persons who committed this crime shall be responsible before the law.

It should be opened to investigate the persons incite to commit the crime. If authority used their power out of scope, they shall be punished. However, if the inciters who incite people to fight against authority, such persons shall be sentence. It should be considered the balance of power between the demonstrator with empty hand and authorities have full equipment.

It's remembered that tomorrow two leadership parties will have a meeting to solve the political deadlock. Through this clash it might get nothing fruitful of negotiation.

We would like all parties (authority and demonstrators) shall be patient and tolerance each other in order to solve the problem. 

We hope everything will be solved peacefully.
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