Funcinpec spokesman Kassie Noeu calls the Constitutional Council “an independent institution and must be reformed,” at a press conference held at Funcinpec headquarters in Phnom Penh on August 25. The Constitutional Council rejected complaints of Funcinpec party, claiming the complaints were baseless and had no enough evidence against the National Election Committee (NEC). On August 7, Funcinpec Secretary-General Prince Norodom Sirivudh signed and sent a 12-point list of complaints to the Constitutional Council outlining election complaints against the NEC. Opposition leader Sam Rainsy submitted similar complaints to the Council two days later. The Constitutional Council President Bin Chhin, who presided over the hearing on August 25, said the decision to reject Funcinpec’s election complaints is “a final decision,” to cancel all complaints of the royalist party.

Koh Santepheap : Land Protest continues : Some 100 villagers demonstrated near the Kompong Speu provincial court to ask the court to find justice for them. The villagers, who are from seven villages in the province, claimed the provincial authorities grabbed from them a watery land of 3.15 hectares where they used to plant lotus for years, and sold to a rich businessperson for money. On August 4, the villagers staged a protest at the land when the businessman ordered several trucks and bulldozers to fill up the lotus farm with soils. They demanded the provincial authorities to return the land to them. The watery land, which is also known as a lake of lotus plantation, was being used as a water resource by 600 families from the seven villages.

 

A policeman hits demonstrators with a truncheon during a protest in Phnom Penh against official results declaring Prime Minister Hun Sen's party the winner of July 27 national elections. Around 19 demonstrators from the Khmer Front Party were arrested by police. ( AFP / CAMBODGE SOIR )

Koh Santepheap : Cambodian police arrested 19 demonstrators who took to the streets of the capital to protest official results declaring Prime Minister Hun Sen's party the winner of July 27 national elections. All but a few of the demonstrators from the Khmer Front Party (KFP), a small opposition group comprised mainly of students, were hauled into police trucks and taken into custody one day after the National Election Commission (NEC) announced final results of the poll. "This demonstration was illegal. We did not allow them to hold it," interior ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak told AFP on Sunday. "We accuse them of creating insecurity and public disorder and inciting people to have a demonstration. "They insulted our authority." KFP sources claim party president Suth Dina was slightly wounded after being struck on the head by a baton-wielding anti-riot police officer who took him into custody. About two dozen people gathered at the KFP's headquarters in Phnom Penh and began marching towards government buildings, shouting slogans against Hun Sen and what they said was Vietnam's encroachment on Cambodian land. "We would sacrifice our lives in order to bring Hun Sen down from power," said protester San Vichhka. "We protest against the election results and demand Vietnamese immigrants in Cambodia be deported!" one demonstrator shouted through a loudspeaker before being detained by police.