Cambodian police disperse protesters defying ban with smoke bombs

Cambodian security forces fired smoke bombs to disperse protesters in the capital Monday morning, national military police spokesman Kheng Tito said. Mam Sonando, owner of the opposition-aligned Beehive radio station, defied a government ban on public gathering and led about 200 protesters to rally in front of the Ministry of Information against the ministry's rejection of his request for a relay station and a TV station. Hundreds of security forces had been deployed to defend the ministry's building and dispersed the protesters with smoke bombs and batons since the protesters blocked a road in front of the ministry. "They defied a ban on protests, so we have to disperse them in order to maintain social security and public order," Kheng Tito told Xinhua after the incident. "We cannot let them cause anarchy in society." The dispersal operation lasted about 10 minutes, leaving seven protesters injured on the head and limbs, according to Am Sam Ath, a senior investigator for the rights group, Licadho, who observed the incident. Cambodia has temporarily banned demonstrations since earlier this month in order to restore public security and social order after two protests turned violent, leaving four protesters dead, 26 injured and 23 arrested. On Sunday, Cambodian security forces briefly clashed with a few hundreds of protesters near the capital's Freedom Park, which left 17 people on both sides injured. The clash broke out after nine opposition-aligned unions and associations defied the government ban on demonstrations and led the protest to demand the release of 23 protesters detained during violent clashes on Jan. 2 and 3, and a 160 U.S. dollars minimum monthly wage for garment workers. Many rallies and protests have been organized by the country's main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) and its aligned trade unions and associations since the disputed election in July last year. The poll results showed that the ruling party led by Prime Minister Hun Sen won 68 parliamentary seats and the CNRP got the remaining 55 seats. Claiming serious irregularities, the opposition refused to accept the outcome and has boycotted parliament and held protests to demand the resignation of Hun Sen and a reelection. Hun Sen has said that he would neither step down nor call a re- vote. The leaders of the two parties met twice in September in an attempt to narrow their political differences, but the talks failed to produce results.