Protest Leaders Briefly Detained

A handful of influential protest leaders were grabbed by police and briefly detained Tuesday, released only after they signed promises not to join in more anti-government rallies. Among those arrested were outspoken activists Rong Chhun, a labor leader, and Tep Vanny, a representative of evictees who was given an award in Washington last year. The arrests took place in front of the US Embassy, where protesters had gathered to submit a petition calling for the release of 23 detainees caught up in demonstration crackdowns earlier this month. (Heng Reaksmey, Phnom Penh)