One of other reporter involved in the case, said their case was intertwined with the political situation in the country and that the charges were baseless.
The statement points to Article 3 which continues to exclude workers in the informal sector, teachers and other public servants from the law’s provisions – in contradiction of the Constitution that says all citizens have the right to form or join a union.
Chan Chen, one of Sokha’s lawyers, said the legal team had not discussed whether Kem Sokha would attend the trial, but that the lawyers would definitely be present in court on January 15.
The law is expected to make the mostly opaque workings of the government more accessible to rights groups, journalists and Cambodian citizens. But questions have lingered over the strength of the law, as well as if it will be implemented fairly by the Hun Sen government.
Cambodia has faced increased pressure to address rights violations after the government orchestrated a crackdown on the political opposition, civil society and independent news organizations in 2017.
The rights group also released a report that revealed members of the LGBT community routinely faced discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGIE). This had led to 25 percent of respondents to hide their SOGIE during a job interview
The events highlighted traverse a range of rights violations, including forced evictions, excessive force by state forces, labour rights issues, and freedom of expression curbs.
Their case comes amid increasing pressure from the European Union on Cambodia’s human rights record, including press freedom, that could see a suspension of the ‘Everything But Arms’ trade preferences
Hun Sen’s letter called for the creation of a working group with member from both countries, with the aim of discussing ways to improve bilateral relations.
The Trade Union Law has been long-criticized for restrictive measures against union formation, discouraging collective worker actions and for excessive bureaucratic requirements, such as activity and financial reports that need to be submitted to the Labor Ministry annually.
There were 1,665 deaths from around 3,400 road accidents from January to October, 151 more deaths than for the same period in 2018. These accidents were not only killing people, but they were also a financial burden on the families of those killed or injured
The two countries have seen a significant decline in their relationship in the last few years, a point raised by Trump in the letter. This decline was also linked to Cambodia’s increasing proximity with the China, which has extended its influence in the Southeast Asian country significantly.
According to a UNICEF report from June 2019, one in two children were beaten in Cambodia and around five percent of children had been sexually abused. Additionally, trafficking and child labor continues to affect children. Many times children are forced to work to assist their families.
The report states that foreign firms were providing significantly more wage jobs, despite locally-owned firms far outnumbering foreign companies. The report showed that 80 percent of Cambodian adults above the age of 15 were working in contrast to 62.5 percent of adults in the East Asia Pacific
Two years after Uon Chhin and Yeang Sothearin were arrested in Phnom Penh, charged with espionage, and released on conditional bail, a lengthy trial brought no closure.
The government has characterised the opposition’s return as an alleged coup.
The report has not been made public and will instead be sent to the Cambodian government, which has one month to send an official response.
The security measures, which includes around 20,000 armed security personnel in Phnom Penh, is in response to an attempt by some exiled opposition leader, including Mu Sochua and Sam Rainsy, to return to the country on November 9.
The minister also ordered the monitoring of people at the village level and asked officials to educate them to stay away from any anti-government activities
Cambodian observers have long expressed concern over the government’s surveillance capabilities
ព័ត៌មានផ្សេងទៀត
