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| A bleeding Rong Panha is arrested after police clash with peaceful striking workers (Photo: Siv Channa, CEN) |
Press Release –
Phnom Penh, 11 July 2012
Arrest of bloodied
union worker sends message to visiting dignitaries as to the state of freedom
of expression in Cambodia
The Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) condemns
the beating and arrest of a peaceful demonstrator, Long Panha, by the
authorities today at Wat Botum in Phnom Penh. Mr. Long, an employee of the
Cambodian Confederation of Unions (CCU), was taking part in a peaceful
demonstration by employees of the Tai Yang (recently renamed Tai Nan) factory who
had gathered in Phnom Penh’s Freedom Park early this morning with the intention
of walking to Wat Botum to submit a petition to the Cabinet of Prime Minister
Hun Sen calling for a resolution to an ongoing dispute with the factory.
Today’s protest was the latest in a series of protests that
have held since 25 June by the workers from the factory who are calling for,
amongst other things, higher levels of compensation than that offered by the
factory for the severance of their contracts following the change in the
factory’s name. At around 7am, approximately 500 workers from the factory
gathered in the capital’s Freedom Park. After an hour of speeches from
individuals including CCU President Rong Chhun, the workers moved to walk
towards Wat Botum to submit their petition. They were immediately surrounded by
a force of between 200 and 300 military police in riot gear who had been
waiting nearby and were prevented from leaving the freedom park. After a short
stand-off, it was agreed that twenty representatives would be permitted to
leave the Freedom Park and to deliver the petition at Wat Botum.
After submitting the petition at Wat Botum, the twenty
representatives – a group that included Rong Chhun and Long Panha – refused police
requests to vacate the adjoining public park, explaining that they wanted to
rest for a short time after walking across town. Police and military police
surrounded Rong Chhun as the workers tried to usher him from the area, fearing
that he would be arrested. In the melee that followed, a mixed group of police
and military police turned on Long Panha, beating him viciously across the head
with batons. He was pulled to the ground and held in a prone position, blood
gushing from his face, before being hauled by his arms and legs into the back of
a nearby police van which sped him from the scene to the office of the Phnom
Penh Police Commissariat. At the time of writing, Mr. Long remains in police custody.
Responding to
today’s events, CCHR President Ou Virak commented:
This incident
represents yet another shameful attempt by the Phnom Penh authorities to
silence peaceful protestors in an effort to present a picture of stability in
the country to visiting dignitaries. In attacking Long Panha in this manner,
the authorities have succeeded in giving visiting representatives from the
countries of ASEAN as well as from China, Japan, South Korea and the United
States a very clear example of the consequences that peaceful protestors in
this country face, when they gather together to call for fair and equitable
treatment.
For
more information, please contact CCHR President Ou Virak via telephone at +855
(0) 12 40 40 51 or e-mail at ouvirak@cchrcambodia.org
Please see this release attached in English, a Khmer version will follow shortly.
Also attached are two photographs of a bloodied Long Panha as he is being put in the back of a police van today at Wat Botum.
27 comments:
Prosecute these polices. whose beating up an innocent protesters,prosecute them for abusing power and human rights violation.This violation of freedom of expression must stop respect all human rights.
Brutality in front of the eyes of world leaders and the world media. Hun Sen should be ashamed of this brutal act. As chairman of Asean Summit, he is an embarrassment to Cambodia and the Cambodian people.
this guy needed to PAY for this stupid moved.,
blamed himself for stupid act..
the authority, was doing a good job by keeping law in order.
if,, he was innocence, this situation will not happened to him..
11:53 PM
Could you elaborate what Mr. Panha did that constitute police using force? By your writing you must be from America. And in America do you think police beating an unarmed man goes unnoticed? This would be an out cry. So before you speak of your ignorance, I suggest you do something better in life than commenting on news that you don`t really care. Because you are just another over sea Khmer that forgot their roots and identity. For you not to see what Mr. Panha is trying to do for the workers inequality just shows your stupidity. So don`t blog on here if your purpose is to talk down on your own people. Shameful.
11:53 PM, jungle people calling for jungle law. This man, Panha, is exercising his right in demanding a reasonable wage for his workers. He had not done anything wrong. This kind of brutality reminds everyone of the Pol Pot regime.
It doesn't matter where he come from 11:53pm was right!!! Police brutality is not acceptable under any circumstances in any society.You the blog above needed to respect human right,the rights that protected by law,the rights of freedom of expression.
You 12:05am needs to learn how not to defend criminal acts against unarmed peaceful protesters,if you want peace and tranquility for your country,your leaders must result this dispute in the peaceful manner and respects human dignity/ integrity.
Police brutality is a crime against humanity,you should be ashamed to defend this kind of savagery acts in the name of controlling freak's regime (Cpp)
shamed on you all,shamed on You panha!!!
You totally lost me with your rebuttal. Maybe you should my blog again @12:05.
There were over one hundreds arrested and two injured in the protest in Mexico's G20 summit in June 2012, where Hun Sen took part in the meeting.
Nothing is extracircumstance in this case.
Well,one day it may happen to your families members,until then 11:53pm you will never understand what's police brutality is....Let just say that your families members are on the top of food chains at this regime,but it could be turned upside down at any moment if the police keep on abusing their power beats up unarmed peaceful protesters like this.
Kmenhwatt
REGARDLESS, I SUPPORTED THE AUTHORITIES TO KEEP LAW IN ORDER.,
I REPEAT,
IF.. HE WAS (innocence),THIS SITUATIONS WILL NOT BE HAPPENED TO HIM..
A frog that lived in the small well doesn't know how big the ocean is!...I suggest that your little frog gets out of your well goes explore the ocean for a change...
It is not justify to use force against unarmed peaceful protesters.In the real world the police will be held accountable for their brutality action of beaten up citizens.It could land them in jail plus civil lawsuit from the victims.
I take it from one or two posters in here trying to spin this police violence in favour of the authorities that:
a] since the person at the receiving end of the violence and brutality is automatically "guilty", the authorities are always in the 'right' and their victims are always in the wrong, and the same would go for whoever had been beaten and imprisoned over the years for staging peaceful protest?
b] since this incident is not "extra-circumstantial" [i.e. similar police brutality having been applied against civilian protesters in other countries, the Phnom Penh/CPP regime has every right to violate the human rights of its own civilian protesters, even if this includes an elderly grandmother from Boeung Kak?
Police brutality in Cambodia should stop
That was red paints was plant on his face...people!
You're very cruel kid!!! You think it is funny,one day it will happen to your family.
Why do we have negative trolls here on this blog? Are these over sea Khmers that bored that they just want to read about the plight of their fellow Khmers? You think looking down on your own people make you feel special? Maybe specially retarded because it is your ethnicity. Is this the new Khmers from over sea now? Is that the kind of education they are receiving? Maybe they are the loser of the society that made it no where and live with their parents who support them everyday. Get to drive fancy cars and buy new clothes because you live off from your parents. Give us a break and leave this blog to those who care for our people. If you don`t care then why blog? Are you a cyber bully? Keyboard warrior? I have a suggestion, why won`t you go outside and bark your mouth to some random dude and see what he would do. And do it alone because I know many of like to talk loud when you have peers with you. That is right I am Khmer American born and I have so much pride of who I am. Maybe you negative bloggers should look in the mirror and see your own face.
CCHR, never complained to Thailand , about Thai black uniforms shoot Khmer peoples almost every days
CCHR, no match with Thailand ,in term of complaining
CCHR, very poor performances , in sending complained to Thai ' s Authority.,
12 July 2012 8:49 AM
Dude, stay on topic. If you have issues with CCHR go blog on their site. Email or whatever.
Free democracy world, would do the same, IF,, this situation occur in their countries,
CCHR, is NGO, paid by foreign country, somehow he took sides, ( biased)
Unfair , injustices to all..
Sorry, don't tell me, it is my rights to express, liked u
Whatta Hell is wrong with you kid!!???? Are you Psycho or retarded??? Kid look at your mirror and answer your own question....You're negative yourself,kid! clean your behind first before you're trying to clean others.
If they were poor in sending complain to Siam authority why don't you little man file complain for them ? Why are you barking in Here for!? You're barking in wrong place!!!
After school, this guy should be doing his home works,
why? he needs to get involved with this stupid act.
the authority, has the rights to re-enforce the law & keep it in order
Lots of stupid Khmer blogging on here. What kind of race look down its own? Hahahaha no wonder our country is going nowhere. Its in our blood!!!
Are you mad?
Red paints was planted......
Not really...Just giving advise to little frog in a small well,to at him/herself in the mirror and make a changes.
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