This may be the most Cambodia can hope for. There is an uneasy quiet in Phnom Penh these days. Ranariddh and Rainsy have both asked demonstrators to stay off the streets while negotiations are underway. Hun Sen's supporters have also retreated. But the threat of more violence is not far away.
Grenades are the weapons of choice for intimidation in Cambodia.
Still, Hun Sen immediately called for Rainsy's arrest. The dissident promptly sought refuge in the U.N. offices in the basement of the Cambodiana Hotel. The building was ringed by armed forces. At least one Rainsy supporter died in a clash with the guards. But Hun Sen has apparently thought better of detaining Rainsy.