On 26 August 2003, the Municipality of Phnom Penh (MPP) received a letter No 64/03 dated 25 August 2003 from Mr. Ching Seng Long, Thatt Rido and Tol Niphak, representatives of the Khmer National Front Party, requesting to organize a non-violent demonstration on 31 August 2003, entitled “2003 Golden Fist Pentagon Democracy Operation” at 8:00 a.m. in front of the National Assembly. The MPP has observed that three representatives look as if they could not be accountable to the demonstrations. That is why the MPP has insisted to invite the president of the Khmer National Front Party to discuss with the MPP about some measures in preventing from affecting public order and it can have someone being accountable to any unforeseen incident happening but the president does not come as requested.

Therefore, the MPP publicly announces to the public that the demonstration, which is planned to organize on 31 August 2003 will have no one is accountable to that at all.

The MPP has no intention to suspend the freedom of expression but we want the organizer of this demonstration to discuss with us to have clear plan, so that it could ensure that it will not be affected personal security of each demonstration and public order, public property, private property and the last one will not be affected to the whole national sake. If there is no clear responsibility from the organizer, it will not be the right thing to do and it is also against the law of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

The MPP kindly address that based on article 37 of the Constitution and article 1 of the law on demonstration state that meeting and gatherings of group and crowds for staging demonstration are acceptable, but the organizer of demonstration shall comply to the rules of law. The demonstration which the Khmer Nation Front Party plans to organize will be an illegal one because it does not fulfill condition as state in the article 2 and 3 of the Law on Demonstration, so the MPP cannot allow the Khmer Nation Front Party to organize this demonstration. The MPP will reserve its own right and take appropriate measure to ensure the public order.

Phnom Penh, August 29, 2003

Municipality of Phnom Penh