Cambodian protesters demand Hun Sen's exit

Opposition alliance vows to hold protests every day until the prime minister steps down or calls a new election.

Tens of thousands of Cambodian opposition party supporters have staged demonstrations demanding new elections, or the resignation of Prime Minister Hun Sen. The Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), an alliance of opposition groups, vowed on Sunday to hold protests every day until the prime minister steps down or calls for a new election. They urged Hun Sen to follow the lead of Thailand Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who last week dissolved parliament and called for snap elections. Opposition party leaders Sam Rainsy and his deputy Kem Sokha joined the protests, waving to supporters, which the opposition CNRP claimed numbered up to 500,000. "I want Hun Sen out because he sold our Khmer land, our nation, our logs and other things," Som Chanthy a factory worker said. Another protester accused the prime minister of being corrupt, helping neighbouring Vietnam instead of Cambodia.   Hun Sen, facing his biggest political challenge in two decades, has ignored the opposition's demands for an investigation into last July's elections, and forged ahead with forming a government and parliament.  Hun Sen has held power for more than 28 years, and his party still holds a majority of the 123 seats in the National Assembly.

Source: Reuters