On 27 September 2013, garment factory workers from the SL-factory marched in Phnom Penh regarding an ongoing labor dispute with factory bosses. The demonstrators intended to petition at the Prime Minister, to highlight their poor working conditions.
Their protest was met with a massive display of force by the authorities, with ADHOC monitors estimating over 1000 police and military police present.
The factory management had promised improvements in working conditions and to establish a commission to oversee the implementation of these improvements, if the workers agreed not to participate in demonstrations organized by the Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP). After the demonstrations had passed, nothing changed for the workers and they went on a limited strike, which eventually led to a lock-out of the workers by the factory’s management. When trying to go back to work at the factory, workers were not allowed to enter and six workers were injured, three severely.
Without the possibility to earning any money, the workers faced not being able to celebrate Pchum Ben and where dependent on their families sending money to support them, despite having taken up the factory work in order to support their families back home
To break the deadlock, the workers decided to take their case to the Prime Minister’s House. On the outskirts of Phnom Penh, the workers were met by over 1000 police and military police in riot gear, who denied them access to the city. At least six military police we seen by ADHOC monitors to be holding automatic assault rifles.
After negotiations between NGOs, the gendarmerie and the demonstrators, 30 people allowed to meet a representative of Mr. Hun Sen’s Cabinet on the condition that the rest would disperse. When ADHOC left the scene both demonstrators and military police had left.
Despite the huge police presence, the authorities displayed tact in dealing with the demonstrators and any violent confrontation was avoided. However, there remains an issue with freedom of assembly, which is protected under Cambodian law and international standards to which Cambodia is state party. ADHOC urges calm in the face of confrontations between workers and the authorities, particularly at this politically sensitive time.
