A Change of Guard

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Friday, 6 November 2015

Rights activists call for probe into 'well-organised, brutal attack' against Cambodian opposition MPs

https://www.facebook.com/chanrith.ren.1/videos/502684383226068/

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Human rights advocates are urging the Cambodian government to allow an independent investigation into the brutal beating of two opposition MPs during a rally outside the country's parliament.
Kong Sophea and Nhay Chamraoen, members of the opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP), were attacked by pro-government protesters as they were leaving the National Assembly in Phnom Penh on Monday.
The rally was held to demand the resignation of CNRP leader Kem Sokha, whom the protesters accused of telling lies about the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) to stoke unrest.
An amateur video posted on social media showed a group of men dragging Mr Sophea and Mr Chamraoen from their cars and then beating and stomping on them.
A witness, Em Sopheak, said the attack involved about 50 men who wore scarves to cover their faces and fled in two pickup trucks.
According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), witnesses recognised the prime minister's bodyguard personnel who were dressed as civilians among the crowd outside the national assembly.
"Police took no effective action to stop the violence and repeated calls to the ministry of interior to disperse the crowd went unanswered", HRW said in a statement.
HRW Asia director Brad Adams said the attack sends a "chilling signal to Cambodians that a new wave of political violence can be unleashed anytime and anywhere".
"This ugly incident is the same kind of crude political violence used against the opposition in the 1990s to fend off challenges to Hun Sen's one-party rule," he said.
The rights group said the Cambodian government should invite the United Nations human rights office in Cambodia to investigate the "well-organised, brutal assault".
"Unless there is an independent investigation and subsequent prosecution of those responsible for this vicious attack, there is every chance such violence will be repeated and perhaps even escalate."
Opposition MP and rights activist Mu Sochua also condemned the attack, saying "this a very black day for democracy in Cambodia".
"The two MPs from the opposition party were in their official vehicles and could not have been mistaken by their attackers," she wrote on her Facebook page.
The government spokesman, Phay Siphan, said, "We don't support violence and we appeal to all sides to be calm".
The violence is the latest flare-up since a truce between the two big parties started to wane in July, when 11 CNRP members were jailed for insurrection, a ruling the opposition said was politically motivated.
Kem Sokha was granted the role of deputy house president as part of a 2014 political truce with prime minister Hun Sen, in exchange for the CNRP ending its year-long parliamentary boycott over a disputed 2013 election.
Both parties have engaged in sabre-rattling of late, with Hun Sen last week warning of civil war should CNRP win the next election in 2018.

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