Thousands of supporters of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) on October 23 gathered at Freedom Park in Phnom Penh, beginning a three-day mass demonstration to demand a review of recent parliamentary election results which handed victory to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodia People’s Party (CPP).

The CNRP said in its statement that about 40,000 people from 24 provinces and cities nationwide will join the demonstration. They are scheduled to march to the United Nations Human Rights office in Cambodia in the afternoon to hand over a petition which contains two million signatures and fingerprints to ask the UN and the signatories of the Paris Peace Agreement for Cambodia to intervene for justice for those who voted for the CNRP.

On October 24 and 25 the protestors plan continue to march to foreign embassies, including those of the US, France, Russia and the UK, to hand over the petition.

The Cambodian Interior Ministry allowed the CNRP to stage a three-day demonstration from October 23 at the park during daytime only, and groups of up to 1,000 protestors to march to the UN office and foreign embassies to deliver the petition.

About 1,000 policemen and military personnel have been deployed to ensure order and security during the protest. However, there are currently no barricades in the streets like there were in the CNRP’s previous demonstrations. The party quoted General Chuon Sovann, Commander of Phnom Penh Police, as saying they will not install barricades if there is no violence.-VNA