Shelter for Sokha’s Supporters Ordered Removed

Cambodia Daily | 16 June 2016

The governor of Phnom Penh’s Meanchey district has written to the opposition CNRP requesting that they stop supporters from blocking the major road in front of their headquarters and remove an awning they recently installed there.

Supporters have been keeping vigil outside the headquarters since May 26 when police attempted to arrest party vice president Kem Sokha, who is hiding inside.

Hundreds have turned out at times to prevent his arrest and have spilled onto National Road 2. The party also erected a metal awning in front of the building earlier this month to shelter supporters.

District governor Pech Keo Mony on Tuesday wrote to the party ordering them to keep their supporters off the street, remove the awning and notify authorities of any planned rallies.

Under the blue awning on Wednesday morning, CNRP spokesman Yem Ponhearith told about 20 supporters that the party would seek further information about the requests before complying with the order. 

“Our CNRP lawmakers and officials will go to ask them why they need to remove the awning, but they’re also asking us to solve the traffic jams, and they also say we did not inform about the CNRP rallies,” Mr. Ponhearith said.

“We’re only rallying in our house,” he added, referring to the headquarters. “Why do we need to tell them or ask permission? Where is the law or article that says for rallying in our house we need to tell them?”

Deputy district governor Ma Sopheap claimed the awning was encroaching on public property and had to be removed just like the awnings of private businesses that make the same mistake.

“The awning, we have seen that it’s beyond…the sidewalk” he said. The awning in fact ends inside the CNRP’s property. But either way, Mr. Sopheap said the extension was not approved.

“It was illegally built. They never made a request to us,” he said. “After a week if they still have not removed it, we might go down there again and inform them again to move it in.”

Mr. Sopheap added that authorities would have no problem if the CNRP was only rallying on its own property but said its supporters were causing traffic jams.

“They are rallying on the road. How can they do that? We would allow it if they were only rallying inside the building.”