Cambodia's opposition ends 3-day protest after delivering petitions to embassies

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PHNOM PENH, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's opposition party on Friday afternoon wrapped up its three-day mass protest peacefully after it delivered petitions to the United Nations office and foreign embassies to call for their interventions in the country's political crisis since July's election.

"We have successfully conducted the nonviolent mass demonstration. Thank all of you for your time to join with us. Have safe trips back home," Sam Rainsy, president of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) spoke to about 20, 000 supporters at the capital's Freedom Park.

During the three-day protest, Sam Rainsy led his supporters to march through streets in the capital to submit petitions to the United Nations office and eight foreign embassies--those of France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Russia, Japan, Indonesia and China.

There was no report of clashes between heavily-deployed security forces and protestors during the demonstration, Kheng Tito, a spokesman for the National Military Police, said Friday.

"It was held peacefully. We hear no report of incidents," he told Xinhua.

The demonstration coincided with the 22nd anniversary of the 1991 Paris Peace Agreement on Cambodia, which laid the groundwork for UN -sponsored elections in 1993. The countries that received the opposition party's petitions are signatories to the Paris Agreement.

Cambodia held a parliamentary election on July 28. The official results revealed that the ruling party of Prime Minister Hun Sen won the election, but the opposition CNRP refused to accept the results, claiming serious irregularities during the poll and demanding for an independent poll probe.

The government has denied election fraud and rejected the opposition's request for poll investigation.

On Sept. 24, the Cambodian parliament, formed by the ruling party's 68 lawmakers-elect, voted for the establishment of a new government under the leadership of Prime Minister Hun Sen even though the opposition's 55 lawmakers-elect boycotted the session.

Sam Rainsy said Wednesday that the opposition would continue to boycott parliament unless there was an appropriate solution to the contested election. He said his party did not recognize the Prime Minister Hun Sen-led government, claiming that it was a violation of the constitution.

However, Hun Sen has defended that his government was legitimate since the nation's King Norodom Sihamoni had already given endorsement.

Chan Saveth, head of legal aid for rights group Adhoc, said that the opposition's efforts to seek foreign help in the internal political row were unlikely to succeed.

"In my own opinion, Cambodian politicians are mature enough to sit down and talk together for a solution to the conflict. The opposition should not try to seek foreign intervention," he told Xinhua on Friday. "The opposition and ruling parties should continue dialogues for the sake of the nation."