By STEW MAGNUSON
I
have so many memorable days from my 15 months working at the Cambodia Daily.
One
was April 1, 1998, the day after the return of Prince Ranariddh to Cambodia.
During
the July 7-8 coup, he had fled the country but the next year he was allowed to
return to run in the upcoming elections.
I
was assigned to cover the crowds of his supporters who had gathered outside Le
Royal Hotel, where he was staying. By the late morning, a few police showed up
and began to move the crowd away from the hotel. By the time they reached the
Wat Phnom traffic circle, the supporters gathered their motorbikes and signs,
and began an impromptu motocycle parade/demonstration through the city.
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| The Funcinpec demonstration/parade |
They
stopped at CPP-run ministries, who had caught wind of the demonstration and
were shuttered.
They
shouted “youn” a slur for Vietnamese, at CPP headquarters and individuals
walking down the streets.
At
one point, they rolled into Funcinpec headquarters where they were given
bottles of water, signs and a Prince Ranarridh portrait to parade around.
This
went on for the better part of the day, with the riders eventually stopping
back at the south end of Wat Phnom.
Unbeknownst
to me — but known to other members of the staff back at our office — a counter
protest organized by CPP supporters was making its way out of a squatter camp.
The CPP supporters, some of whom were allegedly paid, were gathering makeshift
weapons, rocks and loose concrete as they marched toward the riders. I went
back to the office to file my story, but someone said I had better go back
there. A photojournalist, Jerry Redfern, the husband of staffer Karen Coates,
who had been taking pictures for us, came with, or was there, I’m not sure, as
was Catherine Philp.
I
arrived just in time for the battle.
The
Funcinpec riders, way overconfident, rode their motorcycles toward the line of
CPP protesters and were met with a barrage of rocks and cement.
Jerry
snapped a photo that would end up on the front page portraying the moment the
two sides clashed. It was a masterpiece. It showed one of the Funcinpec
organizers fleeing, his motorcycle not quite hitting the ground yet, and a CPP
thug trying to kick him, losing his shoe in the process. The shoe is suspended
in mid-air. Did a better breaking news photo ever appear in the CD for the
remainder of its run? It was much better in color, of course.
The
moment I will never forget came shortly after as the two sides hurled
projectiles at each other. One of the CPP organizers wearing a straw hat,
carried a bullhorn and was shouting into it nonstop. I didn’t understand Khmer,
but man was he annoying. Anyone shouting through a bullhorn is annoying, of
course, but this guy was ratcheting up the tension with his incessant
jabbering.
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| The victim |
Then
to my right, I saw a Funcinpec demonstrator lob a softball size hunk of
concrete at bullhorn man’s direction.
It
all unfolded seemingly in slow motion, as if I were watching an NFL replay of a
Hail Mary pass. As I followed its arc, I thought, “By God, that’s got a
chance!”
Indeed,
it was the perfect lob. Bullhorn man had no clue it was coming and was yakking
right up until the concrete landed square on his straw hat.
He
staggered, completely stunned. He didn’t drop, but wobbled comically about
until he was taken away, not to be seen again that day.
I confess that I laughed a bit.
For the full story as reported that day by the Cambodia Daily staff, and some more pictures, see below.
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| Catherine Philp at the CPP-Funcinpec clash |
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| Most of my photos are blurry. Here is one of my better ones. Gotta love the panda. |
