Protest in Cambodia on Labor Day

Several angry protesters flocked outside the National Assembly in Cambodia in the observance of the International Labor Day. The workers demanded an increase in their salary and other unresolved grievances regarding their respective working conditions. The country of Cambodia observes International Labor Day as a public holiday, coming from a Communist rule back in the 1980s, but government officials had previously warned the protesters against creating a public disturbance.

Policemen with AK-47 rifles and electric batons were dispatched to disperse the demonstrators off the streets and parks of Phnom Penh. Fire trucks were used to block the protesting workers from gathering, and the use of force was later questioned by the public for violating the people's right for free speech. The police justified that they observed maximum tolerance to maintain peace and make sure that the rally will not block traffic jams which might hinder people from reaching the airport in time and miss their flight.
There were no report of injuries on the part of the protesters and the riot police, but some prominent Cambodian rights activists called the incident as a manifestation of the lack of democracy in the country. In the recent years, several of these activists were briefly imprisoned by the Cambodian government.