Phnom Penh: A labour union leader who oversaw a protracted strike against the largest casino in Cambodia was given a two-year prison term on Thursday for inciting others to commit a crime, while eight other union members received lesser sentences that did not include any jail time.
In protest of mass layoffs and alleged union-busting at the NagaWorld casino in the capital, Phnom Penh, Chhim Sithar, president of the Labour Rights Supported Union of Khmer Employees of NagaWorld, has been leading a strike since December 2021. She was found guilty of organising a demonstration in January 2022 that included nearly 400 other fired employees who were asking to be hired back.
In late 2021, NagaWorld fired 373 workers due to financial difficulties brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
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A business owned by the family of Malaysian billionaire Chen Lip Keong is the owner of NagaWorld. His business obtained its gaming permit in 1994, and the land has since grown into a sizable integrated hotel-casino entertainment complex.
In Cambodia, labour union actions are not uncommon, but they typically occur at factories in remote locations or in industrial parks in other provinces. The NagaWorld employees' protest in the capital was unusually well-publicized and prompted sometimes violent police response.
Five of Chhim Sithar's co-defendants were each given a provisional prison term of one and a half years by Judge Soeung Chakriya of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, allowing them to be released on condition that they appear in court or before other authorities whenever required. Three additional defendants were given one-year sentences with suspension.
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In anticipation of the verdict, Chhim Sithar appeared healthy and at ease while donning an orange prison uniform. She responded to a question about the court proceeding by saying, "Yes, I know that the court will convict and sentence me, and of course I will appeal."
She declared, "I will appeal because I can't accept the verdict and I want the world to know about our struggle.
The decision was made on Thursday as Cambodia gears up for a general election in July that will undoubtedly see Prime Minister Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party, which has ruled the nation for 38 years with little regard for dissent, return to power.
The only legitimate opposition party to the ruling party, the Candlelight Party, is appealing a decision that says it cannot contest the election because it lacked the required paperwork.
On Monday, the government accused three members of a Cambodian land rights organisation and a researcher of plotting against the state and inciting people to commit a crime. The government claimed that they intended to incite a peasant revolution by educating farmers about the wealth and poverty gaps in society. They could spend up to 12 years in prison if found guilty of both offences.
Prior to the most recent general election in 2019, Hun Sen's administration carried out a similar crackdown on detractors and opponents.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International all demanded that Chhim Sithar's convictions be overturned and released.
The convictions of Chhim Sithar and the others are an egregious attack on labour unions and workers who are defending their fundamental rights, according to Montse Ferrer, interim deputy regional director for research at Amnesty International.
"This decision serves as a reminder that the Cambodian government would rather take the side of corporations than uphold its citizens' rights,"
According to Am Sam Ath, operations director of the regional rights organisation Licadho, dismissed NagaWorld employees continue to demonstrate in support of their strike every weekend.
The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training stated in December of last year that 124 dismissed employees are still contesting their dismissal, but that 249 dismissed employees had accepted compensation under the labour law and dropped their demands, and that the ministry would continue negotiations with them.
