A group of Cambodians gathered in front of the Chinese embassy in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, to protest against China’s plans to set up a military base in the country.
At one point during the protest on Friday (October 23), people clashed with police and several protesters were arrested. Police in Phnom Penh reportedly arrested at least three protesters and put them in a police pickup truck nearby.
Reuters reports that one of the protesters waved a Cambodian flag and chanted, “We refuse to let China build a military base in Cambodia. Police at the scene warned the protesters over loudspeakers that they must disperse within five minutes.
There have been reports that China and Cambodia have reached a secret agreement whereby Phnom Penh authorities have set aside land at the Ream Naval Base in the port city of Preah Sihanouk to allow China to set up a military base, giving the Chinese navy access to the deep waters off the coast of the Gulf of Thailand.
The Cambodian government has repeatedly denied the rumors, saying that allowing foreign troops on Cambodian soil violates the country’s constitution.
Phnom Penh police spokesman San Sok Seyha said that the protest in front of the Chinese embassy had not been authorized and that those arrested were taken to the police station for questioning. He said, “We have to protect the embassy and maintain public order.”
Reuters reports that journalists were asked by police to delete photos and video footage of the altercation while they were on the scene.
“Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) Vice President MuSochua told Reuters that Friday’s protest in front of the Chinese embassy in Phnom Penh was part of a series of protests initiated by the party to mark the 29th anniversary of the Paris Peace Accords, which ended the Cambodian civil war.
The “Cambodia Salvation Party” was formed in 2012 by the merger of the Sam Rainsy Party and the Human Rights Party to challenge the long-ruling Cambodian People’s Party in the 2013 parliamentary elections. Hun Sen’s Cambodian government filed a lawsuit with the Cambodian Supreme Court in October 2017, accusing the CPP of colluding with the United States in an attempt to overthrow the Cambodian government. The Cambodian Supreme Court issued a ruling on November 16, 2017, dissolving the Kampuchea Party. Both the CNRP and the U.S. government deny the allegations made by Hun Sen’s authorities.
Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in Asia, and China is one of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s closest political allies, providing significant aid and investment to Cambodia. Hun Sen’s government, which has been in power for more than 30 years, is believed to have allowed Chinese influence to enter the country in order to obtain economic assistance from China.
Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Tea Banh confirmed in early October that a U.S.-funded military facility at the country’s Un Lang Naval Base in the Gulf of Thailand had been dismantled. However, the Cambodian government denied that the removal of the facility was linked to rumors that China had been granted access to the base. Phnom Penh has stated that the demolition of the facility is a planned infrastructure improvement. Media reports have suggested that this step is related to the expansion of the strategically located Yunlang naval base, which Cambodia and China are jointly building.
The Vinh Long base is a deep-water port facing the Gulf of Thailand with direct access to the South China Sea.
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