Note: This is all taken from Twitter reports from the scene. For more breaking news, analysis and commentary follow Will Jackson.
A human rights observer and journalists were tasered by electric prod, baton and slingshot wielding “thugs” overnight as police smashed a peaceful hunger strike protest at Phnom Penh’s Wat Phnom .
Protesters say civilian militia with batons, tasers, slingshot mounted attack with police on peaceful protesters.
— Kevin Doyle (@doyle_kevin) September 22, 2013
A very brutal situation here – journalists are being tasered in front of police who are doing nothing to stop it. — Abby Seiff (@instupor) September 22, 2013
Twitter reports from the scene said about six protesters, including elderly women, were injured as police and plain-clothes men swarmed over the hilltop temple in the north of the city’s CBD about 10pm.
One early estimate put the number of police and plain clothes assailants at 400.
According to CLEC, 200 riot police&200 thugs used to removed hunger strikers. 6-7 reported injured #policebrutality pic.twitter.com/uTHJHcSzms — Alex Higgins (@Sokunroth) September 22, 2013
However, other estimates were lower.
About 50 riot police just slowly moved into Wat Phnom. Plainclothes men in surgical masks tasing/shocking people #ppp #Cambodia
— Rick Valenzuela (@_rickv_) September 22, 2013
Some of the protesters were taken to hospital suffering severe welts on their bodies from marbles fired from slingshots while at least one suffered a serious head wound.
update from calmet hopsital,Bkl land activist was injured by the authority after refuse to leave wat phnom #violence pic.twitter.com/ccMEchMY6N — Alex Higgins (@Sokunroth) September 22, 2013
Elderly anti-eviction activist at Calmette Hospital receiving treatment for injury after apparent sling shot attack pic.twitter.com/If0EtOMTqE — Kevin Doyle (@doyle_kevin) September 22, 2013
Update from violence crack down. Another bkl members injured real bad #policebrutality #cambodia pic.twitter.com/VQh1wSJQZj — Alex Higgins (@Sokunroth) September 22, 2013
One local and three foreign journalists and one human rights observer were tasered and/or hit with projectiles.
Wat Phnom closed off; at least 3 foreign journos shocked with electric prods, one Khmer journo had camera smashed and seized #Cambodia #ppp
— Rick Valenzuela (@_rickv_) September 22, 2013
Just now at wat phnom, a human right observer was shot by a slingshot #policebrutality#dictatorship#Cambodiapic.twitter.com/6I0o7cPFCR
— Alex Higgins (@Sokunroth) September 22, 2013
Being kak protesters clash with thugs at Wat Phnom. Journalists tazered and hit with rocks #Cambodiapic.twitter.com/g7z4laEDHE
— Denise Hruby (@nisnis) September 22, 2013
Afterwards, Cambodia Daily journalist Denise Hruby tweeted a photo of the mark left by one of the electric prods.
Electric prods sound worse than theor shock, but this is what it looks like #Cambodia pic.twitter.com/5e62x1n1tn
— Denise Hruby (@nisnis) September 22, 2013
Members of the Boeung Kak Lake and Borei Keila communities — who have been running ongoing demonstrations since being evicted during separate land grabs in the past couple of years— had begun a peaceful hunger strike earlier on Sunday protesting the results of the recent national elections.
Photographer John Vink was there earlier in the evening and took some photos.
A hunger strike by Prince Sisowath Thomico at the same location on Friday evening was also disrupted within hours by police although in that instance Prince Thomico and his supporters left the area peacefully.
Cambodia’s opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, activist monks and other disaffected groups of citizens have been staging daily demonstrations against the results of July 28’s national election in the lead-up to the re-opening of the National Assembly on Monday.
The opening of the new parliament was expected to go ahead despite the delivery of a petition with about 250,000 thumbprints to King Nordom Sihamoni on Sunday asking for it to be delayed.
From September 15-17 the CNRP held a massive three-day demonstration with crowds of about 30,000 attending rallies at Freedom Park and hundreds camping out for the duration.
The government’s security measures during the protests — which included blocking off dozens of roads including major arterials all over the city — sparked confrontations which lead to two outbreaks of violence and one death.
Since then groups of monks have been staging daily peaceful public prayer sessions while other protest groups have held small rallies.
The CNRP is demanding an independent investigation into the election which it claims was rigged by the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, reform of the National Election Committee and other measures.
The CNRP is expected to follow through on its threat to boycott the new parliament until its demands are met.
Read the Phnom Penh Post’s report of Sunday night’s incident (including a video) here.
Here is the Cambodia Daily’s account of what happened (with a limited paywall). Interestingly, they mention that the lighting around the wat was shut off before the raid.
Freelance photographer Omar Havana has some photos of incident here.
For more updates follow Abby Seiff, Kevin Doyle, Denise Hruby, Ricky Valenzuela and Alex Higgins on Twitter.