LTO Cambodia: Sam Rainsy returns

Sam Rainsy returns

After 3 years abroad avoiding a politically tainted criminal conviction and sentence, last week Cambodian opposition party leader Sam Rainsy was granted a royal pardon by the king, allowing him to return to the country. Yesterday (July 19) he did just that, arriving from France by Thai Airways at the Phnom Penh International Airport at 9:05AM. Just in time for the July 28 elections in Cambodia. He was greeted by tens of thousands of supporters in what The Cambodia Daily dubbed the largest opposition rally ever in Cambodia. Estimates of the final crowd size are currently running 50,000-110,000, with it more likely closer to the top end, probably around 70,000-100,000. Tuktuks and market talk place it at an (impossible) million or more. Regardless, the turnout far exceeded the 40,000 the party was hoping for.

Tens of thousands of people awaited Sam Rainsy's arrival outside the airport, and the full length of Airport Road into town (8.5km) was lined elbow-to-elbow with supporters on one side and sometimes both sides of the road. The crowds were thicker and thinner in parts, but unbroken, sometimes as much as 2 or 3 people deep. Sam Rainsy and Ken Sokha (the party's vice) stood hand-in-hand atop a truck as they traveled from the airport to town, smiling and waving to supporters' enthusiastic cheers. Demographically, the crowds seemed overwhelmingly young (under 35,) including some monks, and though there were some rural folk there, most seemed to be urbanites.

The convoy left the airport and followed Airport Road to town, both preceded and followed by supporters, most on motorcycles or on foot. It then jogged a block north to Freedom Square where tens of thousands more were waiting, the convoy ended and Sam Rainsy addressed the crowds. The whole journey took 3-4 hours from airport to Freedom Park.

The main themes of the Airport Road crowds, repeated again and again, were "change" and "Number 7", the place of the CNRP (Sam Rainsy's party) on the ballot. (The CPP, the ruling party, holds the number 4 position on the ballot.)The general atmosphere was positive, enthusiastic, energetic, peaceful and well controlled. People yelled "Change or no change?" and others or the crowd would respond "CHANGE!" They also chanted "Change 4 to 7", "4 out, 7 in", and of course simply "Number 7!" Some added, "No corruption!", "Still poor." and "We must change the government!" Everybody flashed seven fingers. A few pockets also included some anti-Vietnamese chants such as "Vietnamese out" ('Yuon cheng') and "Change number 4, change number Vietnamese," (which rhymes in Khmer, 'Do lek buon, do lek yuon') in a reference to the ethnic Vietnamese and/or the perceived alignment of the current government with Vietnam.

Sam Rainsy is said to be planning to spend this last week before election day campaigning for the party in the provinces. He is apparently already off to Kampong Speu.