Cambodia
Cambodian union leader Chhim Sithar released, vows to continue fight for workers’ rights
Cambodian union leader Chhim Sithar was released after nearly two years in prison for her role in leading a strike at NagaWorld. She vowed to continue advocating for workers’ rights despite the challenges posed by authorities.
Chhim Sithar, a prominent Cambodian union leader, was released from prison on 16 September 2024 after serving nearly two years for leading a high-profile strike at the NagaWorld Hotel and Entertainment Complex in Phnom Penh.
Upon her release, Sithar pledged to continue advocating for better wages and working conditions for workers in Cambodia, particularly at the casino and hotel where the labor dispute began.
Sithar, leader of the Labor Rights Supported Union of Khmer Employees, was sentenced in May 2023 to two years in prison for “inciting social chaos.”
She was initially detained in December 2021 after the strike against NagaWorld began, following the company’s dismissal of over 1,300 employees, many of them union members.
Cambodian authorities have claimed the strike is illegal, alleging foreign involvement in its organization.
“It is a mistake for those who think that putting people in prison can stop workers from protesting,” Sithar told Radio Free Asia.
She reiterated that workers in Cambodia have the legal right to organize and strike, and stated her commitment to continue the fight despite the challenges faced.
The ongoing strike has been met with a violent crackdown by Cambodian authorities. The Phnom Penh Municipal Court also sentenced eight other union members, though their sentences were suspended.
Sithar’s arrest and conviction were condemned by civil society groups, the U.S. State Department, and human rights organizations. Amnesty International noted that the union members were “prosecuted solely for exercising their basic rights.”
Sithar’s release was met with anticipation by supporters, who had planned to gather outside Prey Sar Prison in Phnom Penh.
However, authorities transferred her home before dawn, reportedly to avoid demonstrations.
According to Ou Tep Phallin, president of the Federation of Food and Service Workers of Cambodia, officials “fear the public’s attention,” indicating a broader governmental concern over public protests.
The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) also welcomed Sithar’s release but condemned her imprisonment, calling it a politically motivated effort to suppress union activism.
The organization’s Executive Director, Mary Aileen D. Bacalso, urged the Cambodian government to cease its repression of union leaders, saying, “No one should lose their freedom for exercising their fundamental rights, as Chhim Sithar did.”
FORUM-ASIA regards the case as the continued misuse of “incitement to commit a felony” by Cambodian authorities to suppress peaceful activism is a direct attack on unions and workers fighting for their fundamental rights, and further undermines Cambodia’s already restricted civic space.
NagaWorld, one of the most profitable gambling centres globally, is owned by a Hong Kong-based company with reported ties to Cambodian political elites, including family members of Senate President Hun Sen.
The labour dispute continues, with workers demanding wage increases and the reinstatement of employees dismissed during the pandemic.
