Cambodian authorities should immediately and unconditionally release union president, Chhim Sithar, and drop the baseless criminal charges against her and eight other union members, Human Rights Watch said today.

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“Cambodian authorities are misusing the criminal justice system to target a union president and other labor rights activists,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “People like Chhim Sithar of the LRSU and other labor rights advocates face an increasingly uphill fight to protect the rights of workers as civic space narrows ahead of the scheduled national elections in July.”

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“Prime Minister Hun Sen’s government should reverse its escalating attacks on trade unions, independent media, the political opposition, and human rights defenders as the July national elections approach,” Robertson said. “The European Union, United States, United Kingdom, and Cambodia’s other key trading partners should make it clear that such continued repression will affect ties long before election day.”