Officials are using bullhorns to try to convince a politician’s religious devotees to leave a Siem Reap farmstead where they have gathered to escape the end of the world.
League for Democracy Party (LDP) president Khem Veasna warned of coming floods that would wipe out all of Earth except for his gated Siem Reap farm. After many families gathered from around the country — even some migrant workers from overseas — he said he had stopped the disaster for now using his chakra.
The military prevented access to the farmstead this week, and on Thursday, a local official said more people had been leaving Veasna’s farmstead. But many still remained.
During the morning, the district governor and other officials went to the compound with bullhorns to encourage people to leave, said Tbeng commune chief Heab Tha.
“Since the morning they have been leaving — not many, but they are still going,” Tha said.
Provincial governor Tea Seiha further released a letter signed by six LDP representatives, including party secretary Chen Thon, agreeing to not allow more people onto the farm and to disband the gathering by September 5.
Commune chief Tha said officials had now distributed copies of the signed letter among worshippers.
“If they don’t follow [what it says], the authorities will [take action] according to what they said and thumb-printed in the letter,” he said.
Prime Minister Hun Sen previously said he would not immediately arrest Veasna as that would be playing into the politician’s trap.
Two Facebook posts by the LDP in Japan and LDP News on Wednesday said that internet and phone services had been cut off to the farm, but Tha said he was not aware of this.
The six party representatives who signed the letter could not be reached on Thursday.
