A prominent Cambodian labor union leader who is a longtime government critic was arrested on Friday night on a charge of inciting social unrest because of his comments about a politically sensitive matter concerning the country’s borders.
Cambodian Confederation of Unions president Rong Chhun was arrested at his home and taken to court yesterday to hear the charge against him. If found guilty, he is liable to face six months to two years imprisonment and a fine of 1 million to 4 million riels (US$244 to US$976).
He had also served on the national election committee of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party before it was dissolved by court order in November 2017, ahead of the 2018 general election.
Photo: AFP
The court’s action was generally seen as intended to ensure victory for Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party.
Rong Chhun on Wednesday led several dozen factory workers to present a petition at Hun Sen’s residence asking him to help with their welfare after their factory was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He also gave an interview this past week to the US government-supported Radio Free Asia, in which he spoke about meeting farmers in eastern Cambodia who complained about their land being infringed upon by neighboring Vietnam.
The issue of Vietnam encroaching on Cambodian territory is a highly sensitive one with domestic political significance in Cambodia, because of widespread historical antagonism toward the country’s larger neighbor to the east.
Hun Sen’s government maintains close relations with Vietnam, leading his political foes to accuse him of failing to protect Cambodian land.
Several prominent opposition figures have been prosecuted on various charges in the past few years for making such allegations.
Cambodian National Police spokesman Chhay Kim Khouen said Rong Chhun was arrested at the request of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court after he gave false information related to the border issue with Vietnam.
Earlier on Friday, the Joint Boundary Commission of Cambodia rejected allegations made in the Radio Free Asia program that Vietnam had infringed on Cambodian territory.
A statement issued in the name of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, whose leaders are mostly in exile, said the arrest contravened international law and freedom of expression and political activity guaranteed under Cambodia’s Constitution.
It appealed to the government for his release and called on the international community to also help secure his freedom.
On the Chinese microblogging platform Sina Weibo, enthusiastic slackers share their tips: Fill up a thermos with whiskey, do planks or stretches in the work pantry at regular intervals, drink liters of water to prompt lots of trips to the toilet on work time, and, once there, spend time on social media or playing games on your phone. “Not working hard is everyone’s basic right,” one commenter wrote. “With or without legal protection, everyone has the right to not work hard.” Young Chinese people are pushing back against an engrained culture of overwork, and embracing a philosophy of laziness known as “touching
The Palauan president-elect has vowed to stand up to Chinese “bullying” in the Pacific, saying that the archipelago nation is set to stand by its alliances with “true friends,” Taiwan and the US. Surangel Whipps Jr, 52, a supermarket owner and two-time senator from a prominent Palauan family, is to be sworn in as the new president tomorrow, succeeding his brother-in-law, Tommy Remengesau Jr. In a forthright interview, Whipps said that the US had demonstrated over the years that it was a reliable friend of Palau, most recently shown by its delivery of 6,000 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. “It’s important for
DELIVERING HOPE: The Japanese PM pledged to push ahead with plans to stage the Games, despite polls showing about 80% think they will not or should not happen Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga yesterday vowed to get the COVID-19 pandemic under control and hold the already postponed Olympic Games this summer with ample protection. In a speech opening a new session of parliament, Suga said that his government would revise laws to make disease prevention measures enforceable with penalties and compensation. Early in the pandemic, Japan was able to keep its caseload manageable with nonbinding requests for businesses to close or operate with social distancing, and for people to stay at home, but recent weeks have seen several highs in new cases per day, in part blamed on eased attitudes
‘STUNNED’: With help from an official at the US Department of Justice, Donald Trump reportedly planned to oust the acting attorney general in a bid to overturn the election Former US president Donald Trump was at his Florida resort on Saturday, beginning post-presidency life while US President Joe Biden settled into the White House, but in Washington and beyond, the chaos of the 45th president’s final days in office continued to throw out damaging aftershocks. In yet another earth-shaking report, the New York Times said that Trump plotted with an official at the US Department of Justice to fire the acting attorney general, then force Georgia Republicans to overturn his defeat in that state. Meanwhile, former acting US secretary of defense Christopher Miller made an extraordinary admission, telling Vanity Fair that