Friday, July 28, 2006

At Palace, Retired King Receives Rubber Workers [- Workers threatened wiht firing if they insist on meeting King-Father]

Friday, July 28, 2006

By Douglas Gillison
The Cambodia Daily


Retired King Norodom Sihanouk received 50 workers from Kompong Cham province at the Royal Palace on Wednesday morning and expressed his desire for rubber plantation owners to treat their workers better, said Sam Rainsy, leader of the party that carries his name. "I think that since they've been received by the King-Father they can expect greater respect from their employers," Sam Rainsy said following the meeting, which he organized and attended. In a July 19 letter to the retired King, Sam Rainsy said some rubber workers had been beaten and imprisoned for stealing small amounts of rubber resin. Norodom Sihanouk subsequently invited Sam Rainsy to accompany 250 plantation workers, in five groups of 50 workers, to meet him in the palace. The remaining receptions for the plantation workers are scheduled for Monday, and then for Aug 10, 19 and 29. Those in Wednesday's group each received $12, 50 kg of rice, noodles, trousers and skirts, Sam Rainsy said. Sam Rainsy also claimed that some of the rubber workers who were invited to the Royal Palace had been threatened with firing if they attended the meeting with Norodom Sihanouk.

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