The Perfect Lob: A Story From My Year of Reporting in Cambodia

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.

The Funcinpec demonstration/parade

I paid some motodop to take me around and I snapped pictures and took notes as we made a grand tour of the Phnom Penh. They gathered more and more riders as they went, their numbers swelling to some 150 riders.

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.

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.

Catherine Philp at the CPP-Funcinpec clash

Most of my photos are blurry. Here is one of my better ones. Gotta love the panda.