Govt warns students to stop exam protests

Photo by: Sovann Philong.

A government official addresses disgruntled students during a press conference on Friday.

(Post in http://www.khmernz.blogspot.com/)

Monday, 28 September 2009 15:03 Chhay Channyda

MEDICAL students who failed their first-year exams plan to continue their protest against the University of Health Science despite government warnings of stiff crackdowns on further demonstrations.

The students say the government is trying to intimidate them after officials threatened legal action against students who continue to cause “disorder in the public places”.

“This is intimidation to us,” said student representative Keo Moly after a government press conference Friday. “We fear for our safety.”

However, she said students would continue to protest.

The students have been at an impasse with university and government officials since earlier this month, when more than half the students failed

their first-year exams.

The government had offered to let the failed students retake the entrance exam and repeat their first years, or move to another school. The students, meanwhile, want the full exam results released, saying the results were unfair.