Military police move towards protesting workers amid falling Molotov cocktails on Veng Sreng Boulevard on January 3. POST STAFF
US ambassador to Cambodia William Todd has weighed in on the government’s brutal crackdown on striking garment workers earlier this month, calling the confrontation and subsequent ban on demonstrations
a “significant setback” in the Kingdom’s democratic development.
In his first “Ask the Ambassador” column of 2014, Todd criticises the government’s use of military units to control protesting workers on January 2 and 3, which resulted in at least four deaths and 26 injuries from bullets, according to rights group Licadho.
“While the United States recognizes the fundamental responsibility of the Royal Government to maintain order and protect the general welfare of its people, appropriate proportional responses must be used,” he writes in the column published yesterday.
“Part of exercising restraint is adhering to the rule of posse comitatus, which prohibits the use of military force in responding to civilian crises.”
Ambassador Todd also said he was “deeply disappointed” in Phnom Penh Municipality’s decision to ban opposition demonstrations – enacted following a violent clear out of Freedom Park on January 4 – and called for renewed talks.
“The need for sustained dialogue between the two major political parties is more urgent than ever,” he writes, despite noting that court summonses issued for opposition and union leaders are likely to stymie productive talks.
“I am equally concerned about the 23 detained protesters in Kampong Cham and the apparent violation of their basic rights guaranteed by the Cambodian constitution,” Todd added, saying that transparent and fair judicial proceedings for the arrestees and summonsed leaders would show the government’s willingness to work with the opposition and protesters.
“It is only through the hard work of negotiation and compromise that a sustainable and equitable way forward can be found.”
Todd, who cut his end of year holiday short to return to Cambodia after the clashes, makes no mention of any punitive action if disproportionate military responses are again used by authorities against protesters.
Embassy spokesman Sean McIntosh yesterday said he would not “speculate on that point”.
6 comments:
Mr. Cambodia William Todd needs to learn how to raise children. When a child misbehave, you call for a time-out and send the problem child to the room to chill.
Then you talk the child later.
Banning the demonstration is a great move by Mr. Hun Sen. I applaud such a move.
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When I was 11-year old, my older brother ate my food (shall I say, he stole my food?). I complained and was severely punished by my mother. She tried to shut me up because I was making her shameful for failing to teach my older bother not to steal.
She struck me with a bamboo stick. I was stubborn and tough. I cried and yelled loudly. She kept hitting me harder and harder till I shut up. I bled that day.
The amount of food in dispute was worth about 5 cents in US dollar.
It would have been much better for my mother to use the time-out method, "Go to your room and think about this: All the food in the house belong to me. I decide who to eat and who not to eat. Today you do not eat."
I would have obey her. Later on, the Whites discovered I was very gifted. I was born with photographic memory and already had some German logic in my young mind. They lifted me out of poverty. I won so many honors for my school eventually.
-Drgunzet-
I never knew your mother was into incest deciding who to eat for dinner you or your brother
Ah pler
I forgot to mention it would if been better.
quote from the ambassador: Ambassador Todd also said he was “deeply disappointed” in Phnom Penh Municipality’s decision to ban opposition demonstrations "
a similar law has been enacted here in the US where secret service which protect the president can ban any demonstration which they don't want the president to see or hear...by declaring a protest free zone ... people are allowed to protest as long as it is far away that no one could hear or see them thus no reporting on the news...
this ambassador is basically full of hot air...
here is what most american think of the current state of the US
headline quote "When Did America Turn Into the Soviet Union?
Posted on January 13, 2014 by WashingtonsBlog
America Adopts Soviet-Style Mass Surveillance, Propaganda, Censorship, Communist Torture Techniques, and Socialist Economics
''US President Barack Obama has called for a “year of action,” vowing to take measures into his own hands when necessary.''
doesn't he sound like a dictator also... he does not need congress approval anymore..
links to articles
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2014/01/america-adopted-soviet-policies.html
http://www.presstv.com/detail/2014/01/13/345362/obama-vows-to-act-on-his-own-in-2014/
drgunzet i wish you live in north korea
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