"CENTRAL To Be Audited on July 15, National Audit Authority Collects Bank Information", 9 July 2024

The National Audit Authority (NAA) will conduct an audit of the Center for Alliance of Labor Human Rights (CENTRAL) … following a request from the Interior Ministry …

It will collect information to prepare an audit plan and conduct the exercise on CENTRAL in compliance with law and regulation …, NAA said ...

The notification by the ministry mentioned that it received complaints and views by various unions, federations and associations in relation to CENTRAL’s report titled Barriers to Representation: Freedom of Association in Cambodia, which was criticized as being “biased and unfair”.

The complaints stressed that a “minority assessment of the overall situation (by CENTRAL) did not reflect the reality of trade union freedom in Cambodia”. The report also allegedly “dishonored the nation”, “affected job stability” and the common interests of workers in Cambodia.

CENTRAL program manager Khun Tharo confirmed receiving the letter from the NAA and is studying the relevant laws and regulations stated there.

“CENTRAL will communicate through the administrative and technical framework to cooperate with the competent authorities based on professional principles and in the spirit of high responsibility,” he said…

…, CENTRAL issued a clarification of their report. It said Better Factories Cambodia’s (BFC) assessment showed that freedom of association can create a safer and more respectful environment for Cambodian trade unions to operate…

NGO rights group Adhoc president Ny Sokha viewed that the audit was “unusual” because the government auditor does not generally audit civil society organizations. He wondered if there was a problem and why such an audit was being conducted…