Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Protesters viciously beat guards

Protesters viciously beat guards

Bloody protest
A district security guard lies incapacitated surrounded by protesters, some attempting to protect him while others continued to beat him, at a opposition aligned demonstration against the ongoing blockade of Freedom Park on Tuesday morning.

Protesters viciously beat guards

Protesters savagely beat district security guards, at times bashing bloodied men lying incapacitated on the ground, as an opposition-aligned demonstration against the ongoing blockade of freedom park erupted into violence on Tuesday morning.

At least eight district security guards were injured - some severely - while three Cambodia National Rescue Party lawmakers-elect were taken into custody.

The protest, which formed near the edge of the park at Naga Bridge, kicked off when two groups, one led by Cambodia National Rescue Party lawmaker elect Mu Sochua, joined forces, then unfurled a banner reading “Free the Freedom Park” and attached it to the razor wire barricade surrounding the park.

Things proceeded peacefully for several minutes before a group of 30 to 40 baton wielding Daun Penh district security guards arrived and began pulling down the banner while forcefully attempting to disperse the demonstration.

Protesters, many wearing yellow ribbons, reacted immediately, rushing toward the guards, engaging them physically and quickly gaining the upper hand.

Police stationed behind the razor wire fired what appeared to be tear-gas canisters, which only briefly halted the scene unfolding outside the barricades.

In the ensuing chaos, Post reporters witnessed numerous guards being isolated and beaten by the crowd. In a moment captured by a Post video journalist, a guard is seen lying unconscious on the ground, before having a rock smashed against his head. When an ambulance arrived, protesters blocked it from reaching the scene and turned it away.

In the aftermath, rights group Adhoc said that eight guards had been injured, with four of them injured seriously. A number are now being attended to in hospital.

"Our NGOs are very sorry about this. Because of the culture of violence, previously security officials beat demonstrators and now the demonstrators beat the security in revenge," Ath Sam Ath, a technical adviser from the rights group Licadho said.

"Now our NGOs are calling for the political parties stop using the people as the tool for protecting their powerful [members]," he added

Sochua, along with fellow CNRP lawmakers elect Kaeo Phirom and Men Sothavarin, were detained by police during the melee and escorted behind the razor-wire barricades. They have since been taken to Phnom Penh municipal police headquarters, Sochua told a Post reporter via phone.

Military Police spokesman Kheng Tito said the detaining of Sochua and her fellow lawmakers-elect was simply procedure.

“Generally, after an incident like this, our authorities must detain the leaders of a violent strike to question as procedure,” he said.

MOST VIEWED

  • Wing Bank opens new branch in front of Orkide The Royal along Street 2004

    Wing Bank celebrates first anniversary as commercial bank with launch of brand-new branch. One year since officially launching with a commercial banking licence, Wing Bank on March 14 launched a new branch in front of Orkide The Royal along Street 2004. The launch was presided over by

  • Girl from Stung Meanchey dump now college grad living in Australia

    After finishing her foundational studies at Trinity College and earning a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Melbourne in 2022, Ron Sophy, a girl who once lived at the Stung Meanchey garbage dump and scavenged for things to sell, is now working at a private

  • Ministry orders all schools, public and private, to close for SEA Games

    From April 20 to May 18, all public and private educational institutions will be closed to maintain order and support Cambodia's hosting of the 32nd SEA Games and 12th ASEAN Para Games, said a directive from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. Cambodia will host the

  • Wat Phnom hornbills attract tourists, locals

    Thanks to the arrival of a friendly flock of great hornbills, Hour Rithy, a former aviculturist – or raiser of birds – in Kratie province turned Phnom Penh tuk tuk driver, has seen a partial return to his former profession. He has become something of a guide

  • Almost 9K tourists see equinox sunrise at Angkor Wat

    Nearly 9,000 visitors – including 2,226 international tourists – gathered at Angkor Wat on March 21 to view the spring equinox sunrise, according to a senior official of the Siem Reap provinical tourism department. Ngov Seng Kak, director of the department, said a total of 8,726 people visited Angkor Wat to

  • Angkor Beer strengthens national pride with golden new look and fresher taste

    Angkor Beer – the "Gold of Angkor" – has a new look, one that is more stylish and carries a premium appeal, as well as a fresher taste and smoother flavour, making it the perfect choice for any gathering. Angkor Beer recently launched its new design, one