Defying ban, disabled groups play on

On the corner of one of Phnom Penh’s busiest roads this week, motorcyclists pulled over one by one holding out crumpled banknotes to a group of blind performers who were belting out a score of traditional Cambodian songs.

The group, like many others across Phnom Penh, has been defying a citywide ban imposed earlier this month that prohibits disabled people from performing on the roadside.

“We can’t let them do this anymore; it affects the aesthetics of our city,” reasoned City Hall spokesman Long Dimanche.

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