"ITUC Letter to Cambodian Prime Minister on arrest of Rong Chhun", 04 August 2020

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and ITUC Asia-Pacific (ITUC-AP) condemn the arrest of Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian Confederation of Unions (CCU) and ITUC affiliate in Cambodia. Rong Chhun is … the current chair of the ITUC Cambodian Council and one of the most outspoken unionists in Cambodia. 

We were informed that Rong Chhun was taken away by police from his home … for allegedly inciting to commit felony.

... In the recent labour dispute over the closure of Violet Apparel, Rong Chhun picketed with hundreds of terminated workers and Yang Sophorn, president of Cambodian Alliance of Trade Union affiliated to CCU… 

We are deeply worried about the alarming trend of repression in Cambodia. As pointed out in the recent report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, the government of Cambodia is increasingly reliant on cyber control and surveillance over freedom of speech and opinions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Netizens, civil society and trade union activists are subjected to un-substantiated allegations, arbitrary arrest and criminalisations for challenging government policies and employers’ practices…

The Cambodian government has obligations to protect and uphold these rights under the ILO Convention No.87 and international human rights treaties. Rong Chhun as well as the trade unionists detained and sentenced for exercising their right to free expression must be released. The ITUC and ITUC-AP urge the government of Cambodia to immediately drop all the charges against Rong Chhun and the detained trade unionists, and to commit to respect fundamental rights and freedoms under the international human rights treaties…