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The United States Demands That A Cambodian Labor Activist Be Freed

On Tuesday, the United States demands that a Cambodian labor activist be freed as it voiced its extreme worry at Cambodia's arrest of union leader Chhim Sithar. Sithar was arrested along with other trade unionists for "exercising their rights to freedom of association and peaceful assembly."

Author:Suleman Shah
Reviewer:Han Ju
Nov 30, 20225 Shares424 Views
On Tuesday, the United States demands that a Cambodian labor activist be freedas it voiced its extreme worry at Cambodia's arrest of union leader Chhim Sithar.
Ned Price, a spokesperson for the State Department, stated that the United States was "deeply concerned" by the arrest of Chhim Sithar and urged that charges against her and other detained trade unionists for "exercising their rights to freedom of association and peaceful assembly" be dropped.
Sithar was arrested along with other trade unionists for "exercising their rights to freedom of association and peaceful assembly." The statement issued on Wednesday also demanded the release of Theary Seng, a citizen of the United States who was incarcerated as a result of a different political case.
After a mass trial that was condemned by the United States and rights groups as being politically motivated, Theary Seng, a Cambodian-American lawyer and human rights activist, was one of sixty opposition figures jailed in June on charges of conspiring to commit treason. The trial was carried out in June.
After returning from a labor convention in Australia, the State Department said that Sithar, whose union has been in a dispute with the NagaWorld casinofor the past year, was arrested upon his return to Cambodia. It was reported that Cambodian authorities had previously violated the rights of workers by detaining union officials and workers who were protesting the firing of NagaWorld employees.
The department said in a statement:
We urge Cambodian authorities to release Chhim Sithar and all detained trade unionists exercising their rights to freedom of association and peaceful assembly, drop charges against them, and move to constructively resolve their disputes.- The statement by the State Department
Several workers holding a white sheet with pictures of two officials of the NagaWorld company on it
Several workers holding a white sheet with pictures of two officials of the NagaWorld company on it
According to a statement that was distributed on Monday by the Cambodian Center for Human Rights on behalf of 69 civil society organizations, Sithar was arrested on Saturday and accused of violating the conditions of her bail, which purportedly banned her from leaving the country.
It was stated that Sithar was arrested in January but was later freed on bond in March and that neither she nor her lawyers were told of any termsassociated with her release.
In late 2021, the NagaWorld, which is the sole legal casino in Phnom Penh and is extremely profitable, let go of 373 of its employees on the grounds that the company had suffered financially as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This decision was made because the NagaWorld was the only casino in the city.
Actions taken by labor unions are not unheard of in Cambodia; nonetheless, they typically take place in remote regions or in industrial estates located in neighboring provinces. The demonstration that was held by the workers of NagaWorld in the central portions of the capital city was exceptionally high-profile and resulted in action by the police.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training said that 249 individuals who had been terminated had agreed to take the compensation offered under the labor legislation and had given up their claim to be rehired. It stated that 124 individuals continue to contest their dismissal and that the ministry would continue to negotiate with those individuals.
In addition, the statement stated that the arrest of Chhim Sithar on Saturday had nothing to do with the labor issue.
Chhim Sithar's immediate and unconditional release was demanded in a statement issued by 69 Cambodian civil society and rights organizations. The statement urged the Cambodian government “to stop being afraid of Chhim Sithar’s strength and bravery.”
“Neither Sithar nor her lawyers were informed of any bail conditions. Her lawyers’ request to view her case file, which would have contained such bail conditions, was never granted, in violation of the Code of Criminal Procedure,“ said the statement. “Punishing people for failing to follow secret and undisclosed rules is an injustice and inconsistent with basic principles of the rule of law."

Conclusion

Accusing the government of beating, arresting, sexually harassing and assaulting strikers, the statement called Chhim Sithar's arrest “an unacceptable continuation of this failed policy of repression.”
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Suleman Shah

Suleman Shah

Author
Suleman Shah is a researcher and freelance writer. As a researcher, he has worked with MNS University of Agriculture, Multan (Pakistan) and Texas A & M University (USA). He regularly writes science articles and blogs for science news website immersse.com and open access publishers OA Publishing London and Scientific Times. He loves to keep himself updated on scientific developments and convert these developments into everyday language to update the readers about the developments in the scientific era. His primary research focus is Plant sciences, and he contributed to this field by publishing his research in scientific journals and presenting his work at many Conferences. Shah graduated from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (Pakistan) and started his professional carrier with Jaffer Agro Services and later with the Agriculture Department of the Government of Pakistan. His research interest compelled and attracted him to proceed with his carrier in Plant sciences research. So, he started his Ph.D. in Soil Science at MNS University of Agriculture Multan (Pakistan). Later, he started working as a visiting scholar with Texas A&M University (USA). Shah’s experience with big Open Excess publishers like Springers, Frontiers, MDPI, etc., testified to his belief in Open Access as a barrier-removing mechanism between researchers and the readers of their research. Shah believes that Open Access is revolutionizing the publication process and benefitting research in all fields.
Han Ju

Han Ju

Reviewer
Hello! I'm Han Ju, the heart behind World Wide Journals. My life is a unique tapestry woven from the threads of news, spirituality, and science, enriched by melodies from my guitar. Raised amidst tales of the ancient and the arcane, I developed a keen eye for the stories that truly matter. Through my work, I seek to bridge the seen with the unseen, marrying the rigor of science with the depth of spirituality. Each article at World Wide Journals is a piece of this ongoing quest, blending analysis with personal reflection. Whether exploring quantum frontiers or strumming chords under the stars, my aim is to inspire and provoke thought, inviting you into a world where every discovery is a note in the grand symphony of existence. Welcome aboard this journey of insight and exploration, where curiosity leads and music guides.
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