Police fired smoke
grenades at protesters gathered at riverside in Phnom Penh late this afternoon
as a small group of demonstrators hurled rocks, shoes and pieces of metal back
at them.
The violence erupted
after protesters ripped apart police barricades and threw razor wire fences
into the Tonle Sap and police responded by firing water cannons at them.
One young man was caught
in the razor wire as police continued to spray water on him. He was rushed from
the scene convulsing, and a first-aid worker who treated the young man said
water had entered his lungs but that he had sustained no serious injuries.
A policeman was also
reportedly injured during the standoff, which involved hundreds of military
police, some armed with riot guns, shields, guns and truncheons.
Though police had said
they were using tear gas it was clear to reporters directly on the scene that
it was merely smoke.
Hostilities calmed down
when several officials from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner
of Human Rights arrived at the scene and parked a vehicle directly in front of
reassembled barricades.
The UN officials sat
down with Phnom Penh municipal police chief Choun Sovann in a nearby bar to
negotiate.
Afterward, Sovann told
reporters they had seen with their own eyes that protesters had abused police
who had deployed barricades at the site near the royal palace to protect King
Norodom Sihanomi.
He questioned why
protesters had moved to the site near Ounaloum pagoda when it had been made
clear that the CNRP had permission to stage a non-violent protest at Freedom
Park.
“At that time, I stayed
close to his excellency Sam Rainsy, because he asked to pray in front of the
royal palace, and we allowed him to do it following his will, and so I
protected his security,” he said.
“Then he went back to
Freedom Park, but his supporters did not go back, so I have to put one question
to protesters, why do they want to stay here? What is their purpose?.”
Shortly before, Cambodia
National Rescue Party president Sam Rainsy had arrived at the scene and
instructed all protesters to stop the violence and either go home or return to
Freedom Park.
“I would like to appeal
to a group of youth or any people to stop the violence immediately. We don’t
need to use any violence, so I would like to condemn anybody who uses violence
or uses brick or blames,” he told the assembled crowd, before compelling
protesters to go and enjoy music at Freedom Park.
The small group of
protesters had come from Freedom Park, where the opposition is stagging a
three-day demonstration protesting the results of the July national election,
which they claim was systematically rigged.
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