Why hundreds are protesting at Obama's summit

Luke Skywalker · Feb 16, 2016

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[h=4]Why hundreds are protesting at Obama's summit[/h]Hundreds brave desert heat to protest Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit.

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Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the US-ASEAN summit on Monday. Brett Kelman/The Desert Sun

Protesters gather on the southeast corner of Bob Hope Dr. and Gerald Ford Dr. to protest a number of Southeast Asian leaders attending the US-ASEAN summit at Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage on Monday, February 15, 2016.(Photo: Richard Lui/The Desert Sun)

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. —*Hundreds of people gathered*outside*Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage Monday, braving the oppressive desert heat*to protest the summit between President Obama and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
The largest groups opposed the heavy-headed*Vietnamese and*Laotian governments, both of which are single-party communist nations,*and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, a dictator who has been linked to*genocide.
A smaller*but vocal faction of protesters spoke out against Thai junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha, under whose leadership activists, journalist and university students have been jailed for publicly criticizing the government.
Others protested the Trans Pacific Partnership, an Asian trade deal that will be discussed at the summit. Together, they created a sea of flapping flags and blaring megaphones, chattering in at least three languages.
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“Hey hey! Ho ho! The TPP has got to go!” one man chanted.
Another wildly waved his sign, which read, "Welcome serial murderers of Thailand!"
As many as 1,000 protesters were expected to show throughout the day, but the afternoon's 90-degree temperature forced the majority*to leave before the summit's 3 p.m. start time.
After police closed Bob Hope Drive near Sunnylands for the summit, protesters were steered*to an empty lot at the intersection with Gerald Ford Drive.
Protesters had no significant confrontations with police throughout the day, and the Riverside County Sheriff's Department confirmed that no arrests were made at the protest site.

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Obama began a two-day summit with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to discuss issues like economic development, national security and youth empowerment. VPC

Although the protesters*numbered in the hundreds, they were*given far less space than similar demonstrations during past presidential visits. Three years ago, when Obama’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping attracted a similarly large protest, the demonstrators were given*a larger designated area*and allowed much closer to the front gate of Sunnylands.
Phat Bui, a Garden Grove city council member who protested at both summits, said he was disappointed by the shift. On Monday, Bui was part of a Vietnamese group that protested Chinese aggression in the South China Sea.

Protesters gather on the southeast corner of Bob Hope Dr. and Gerald Ford Dr. to protest a number of Southeast Asian leaders attending the US-ASEAN summit at Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage on Monday, February 15, 2016.*(Photo: Richard Lui/The Desert Sun)

"The leader of the world, and of this summit, is in that resort way over there," Bui said, pointing at a distant*Sunnylands."He has no idea who is protesting, and how many. We can't send a clear message."
Still, most protesters were undeterred. They chanted the hardest when charter buses,*which may have contained world leaders, passed through the police barricade and headed towards Sunnylands.
Lune Akell, 71, a Laotian immigrant who traveled from Texas to protest, waved a Laotian flag with gusto. He said that*country's government frequently seized land from its citizens so it could sell the property to neighboring nations, like Vietnam.
“We don’t care how many miles we drive,” Akell said. “Today is a very good day to express what we know in our heart we don’t like.”
A similar sentiment came from Sweety Chap, a Cambodian protester who demanded that Prime Minister Hun Sen step down.

Protesters the American Indian Movement of Southern California join other protesters protesting other causes near the US-ASEAN summit at Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage on Monday, February 15, 2016.*(Photo: Richard Lui/The Desert Sun)

Sen, possibly the most objectionable leader at the*summit*to demonstrators, has ruled Cambodia for three decades.
“He’s got to go,” Chap said. “We want a real democracy. We want justice. We want peace. We want love. We want liberty.”
Obama met Sen and other world leaders Monday afternoon during a special summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN,*which includes Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Singapore.
In prior interviews, experts have said world leaders are certain to talk about the TPP, a trade agreement that is designed to streamline trade throughout Asia. Critics have argued the agreement will allow companies to use an international status to circumvent American laws.
At the protests on Monday, a few dozen people gathered to oppose the TPP, although they were*overshadowed by the Southeast Asian human rights protesters.
Jose Godinez, 40, of Moreno Valley, a representative of United Steelworkers, stood quietly behind the Laotian protesters.

Protesters started arriving early Monday in Rancho Mirage.*(Photo: Brett Kelman/Desert Sun)

“We are for trade, but trade has to be fair. And the TPP is not fair,” Godinez said.
Discussions at the summit will include innovation and entrepreneurship, maritime security,*combating terrorism and pandemics, climate change and human trafficking.
Speaking at a White House press briefing on Monday afternoon, national security adviser*Susan Rice*said the U.S. is well aware “that some of our ASEAN partners have a long way to go on human rights, but the U.S. will continue, as we do everywhere, to stand up for the rights of all people.”
Rice met with civil society representatives from all 10 ASEAN countries at the White House last week.
At the summit, Obama will emphasize the importance of the rule of law and “capable, accountable institutions,” she said.
Contributing: Rosalie Murphy, The (Palm Springs, Calif.) Desert Sun. Follow Brett Kelman*and*Anna Rumer*on Twitter: @TDSbrettkelman*and*@AnnaRumer
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Why hundreds are protesting at Obama's summit

Luke Skywalker

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