"Enough is Enough: Stop Persecuting LRSU Unionists", 6 May 2024

… civil society groups, unions and confederations, are dismayed by the Supreme Court’s unjust decision … to uphold convictions against current and former members of the Labor Rights Supported Union of Khmer Employees of NagaWorld (LRSU). Authorities and courts have repeatedly failed to provide justice to LRSU activists. They must release union president Chhim Sithar from prison immediately and restore the freedoms of all defendants in this case.

…, the Supreme Court upheld convictions against eight current and former LRSU members, who were previously sentenced by the Phnom Penh Capital Court to prison sentences ranging from one to two years. Of the eight defendants, LRSU President Chhim Sithar is in prison serving a two-year sentence, and five other defendants are at risk of being immediately imprisoned. The five defendants — Chhim Sokhorn, Hay Sopheap, Kleang Soben, Sun Srey Pich and Touch Sereymeas — were sentenced by the Phnom Penh Capital Court to 18 months in prison.

Apart from the judicial harassment, Phnom Penh authorities and security personnel have tried every tactic to break the LRSU strike, including the use of physical violence and sexual harassment…

We demand that the government unconditionally release Sithar and allow the other defendants to return to their lives without fear of imprisonment or persecution. This is the only remaining way to rectify the baseless convictions and persecution against union members advocating for better workers’ rights. The government must respect the fundamental rights of all workers and stop characterising peaceful union activity as criminal in nature.