Cambodian court summons opposition leaders over deadly clash

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court has summoned the country's main opposition party leader Sam Rainsy and his deputy Kem Sokha to question about their possible involvement in inciting felony or causing social chaos. According to two separate summons signed by the court's deputy prosecutor Heang Sopheak on Friday and released to the media on Saturday, Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha are summoned to appear at the court in the morning of Jan. 14. The two opposition leaders would be questioned about "inciting to commit felony or conducting actions that cause serious chaos to social security," said the summons. There was no immediate response from the two opposition leaders on Saturday. The summons were issued after a garment protest on outskirts of the capital Phnom Penh on Friday turned violent, leaving four strikers shot dead, 26 injured and 11 arrested. Keo Remy, a spokesman of the Council of Ministers' Press and Quick Reaction Unit, said Saturday that the opposition party must be responsible for the violence that claimed lives and caused severe destruction to public and private properties in recent days. "We have evidence to prove that the opposition has incited violent protests," he said in a press conference. The authorities on Saturday cleared hundreds of pro-opposition' s demonstrators from the capital Phnom Penh's Freedom Park, where they have been protesting for three straight weeks against the Prime Minister Hun Sen's government.