by Bong Burgundy » Fri Feb 23, 2018 4:04 pm
A day after Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday said he would “beat” any would-be protesters who dared to burn his photo during an upcoming trip to Australia, a group of fired-up demonstrators have already taken him up on his challenge, setting the premier’s visage alight on an Australian beach.
In Wednesday’s speech, Hun Sen threatened to boycott the Asean-Australian Special Summit on March 17 and 18 over rumoured “pressure” on his government for its crackdown on the opposition. He also issued a menacing word of warning to would-be protesters in Australia.
“I would like to send a message, do not burn my photo,” he said. “If you burn my photo, I will follow you home . . . I will follow you and beat you at home.”
He added, “I want to be clear, you have your right to burn my image. I have my right to fight you, so it’s fine . . . I will go to your houses and seize you.”
Cambodian-Australian resident Va Malina, from Melbourne, said she would be joining demonstrations next month to coincide with Hun Sen’s visit, and that the protests would now include burning an effigy of Hun Sen – thanks to the premier’s suggestion.
“We didn’t plan to burn Hun Sen’s effigy, but he is the one who reminded us yesterday,” she said.
Some, however, were apparently unable to wait for the visit, with masked participants broadcasting a protest on Facebook yesterday showing them burning a stuffed effigy bearing a printed-out photo of Hun Sen’s face........
Full story:
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/c ... gy-hun-sen
[quote]A day after Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday said he would “beat” any would-be protesters who dared to burn his photo during an upcoming trip to Australia, a group of fired-up demonstrators have already taken him up on his challenge, setting the premier’s visage alight on an Australian beach.
In Wednesday’s speech, Hun Sen threatened to boycott the Asean-Australian Special Summit on March 17 and 18 over rumoured “pressure” on his government for its crackdown on the opposition. He also issued a menacing word of warning to would-be protesters in Australia.
“I would like to send a message, do not burn my photo,” he said. “If you burn my photo, I will follow you home . . . I will follow you and beat you at home.”
He added, “I want to be clear, you have your right to burn my image. I have my right to fight you, so it’s fine . . . I will go to your houses and seize you.”
Cambodian-Australian resident Va Malina, from Melbourne, said she would be joining demonstrations next month to coincide with Hun Sen’s visit, and that the protests would now include burning an effigy of Hun Sen – thanks to the premier’s suggestion.
“We didn’t plan to burn Hun Sen’s effigy, but he is the one who reminded us yesterday,” she said.
Some, however, were apparently unable to wait for the visit, with masked participants broadcasting a protest on Facebook yesterday showing them burning a stuffed effigy bearing a printed-out photo of Hun Sen’s face........[/quote]
Full story:[url]http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cambodian-australian-protesters-burn-effigy-hun-sen[/url]
[img]http://www.phnompenhpost.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_780x440/public/field/image/cambodian-australian_protesters_burn_an_effigy_bearing_prime_minister_hun_sens_face_on_a_beach_yesterday_a_day_after_he_warned_protesters_he_would_follow_them_home_and_beat_them_if_they_did_so_on_an_upcoming_tri.jpg?itok=M8PcMyRW[/img]