Rubber plantation workers protesting in front of the Ratanakiri court on 23 August 2006 (Photo: Rotha Visal, RFA)Thursday, August 24, 2006
By Yun Samean
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
"Workers need to buy a lot of materials
to collect the resin while the solidarity groups
only wait to take their share."
—Hong Sa Eam,
Representative of protesting rubber tappers
to collect the resin while the solidarity groups
only wait to take their share."
—Hong Sa Eam,
Representative of protesting rubber tappers
Rubber tappers, plantation representatives and local rubber tycoon Tai Seng are embroiled in a nasty dispute over who controls Ratanakkiri province's rubber trade.
A demonstration in Banking town Wednesday by some 30 rubber tappers against the leaders of 33 so-called "solidarity groups"—who control production at almost half the province's 2,000 hectares of rubber— prompted accusations that Tai Seng was behind the protests.
The workers gathered in front of the provincial offices accusing solidarity group chiefs of pocketing almost 50 percent of all profits from the cooperatively run plantations and leaving the remains to be shared among thousands of poor plantation workers.
Chbetch Chantha, a solidarity group representative, accused Tai Seng, who privately controls around 1,000 hectares of rubber, of stirring the dispute in a bid to take control of the cooperatives.
"The company wants the solidarity groups to collapse so the company can control all the rubber plantations," Chbetch Chantha said.
However, a representative of the protesting tappers, Hong Sa Eam, said there was little solidarity in the groups, as the chiefs were pocketing the lion's share of the profits.
Workers are now demanding 70 percent of the solidarity group plantation profits, he said.
"Workers need to buy a lot of materials to collect the resin while the solidarity groups only wait to take their share," Hong Sa Eam said.
Hong Sa Eam said that workers at the solidarity groups had secretly sold small amounts of resin directly to Tai Seng because they needed money during the rainy season.
Tai Seng denied that he was behind the protests, but said that he would be happy to take control of the solidarity groups and end the exploitation of their workers.
"The solidarity groups have exploited workers," he said. "They are just middlemen."
Tai Seng added that if he controlled more plantations he would buy rubber directly from the workers, who would share 100 percent of the profits.
Pen Bonnar, provincial coordinator for local rights group Adhoc, said that Tai Seng's offer was a good one.
"They don't work," Pen Bonnar said of the group chiefs. "They just wait for the money."
Chbetch Chantha said that unhappy solidarity plantation workers should look for work elsewhere.
He also defended his group's cut of profits.
"We don't take the money to buy Land Cruisers," he said. "We use the money to maintain the plantation."
A demonstration in Banking town Wednesday by some 30 rubber tappers against the leaders of 33 so-called "solidarity groups"—who control production at almost half the province's 2,000 hectares of rubber— prompted accusations that Tai Seng was behind the protests.
The workers gathered in front of the provincial offices accusing solidarity group chiefs of pocketing almost 50 percent of all profits from the cooperatively run plantations and leaving the remains to be shared among thousands of poor plantation workers.
Chbetch Chantha, a solidarity group representative, accused Tai Seng, who privately controls around 1,000 hectares of rubber, of stirring the dispute in a bid to take control of the cooperatives.
"The company wants the solidarity groups to collapse so the company can control all the rubber plantations," Chbetch Chantha said.
However, a representative of the protesting tappers, Hong Sa Eam, said there was little solidarity in the groups, as the chiefs were pocketing the lion's share of the profits.
Workers are now demanding 70 percent of the solidarity group plantation profits, he said.
"Workers need to buy a lot of materials to collect the resin while the solidarity groups only wait to take their share," Hong Sa Eam said.
Hong Sa Eam said that workers at the solidarity groups had secretly sold small amounts of resin directly to Tai Seng because they needed money during the rainy season.
Tai Seng denied that he was behind the protests, but said that he would be happy to take control of the solidarity groups and end the exploitation of their workers.
"The solidarity groups have exploited workers," he said. "They are just middlemen."
Tai Seng added that if he controlled more plantations he would buy rubber directly from the workers, who would share 100 percent of the profits.
Pen Bonnar, provincial coordinator for local rights group Adhoc, said that Tai Seng's offer was a good one.
"They don't work," Pen Bonnar said of the group chiefs. "They just wait for the money."
Chbetch Chantha said that unhappy solidarity plantation workers should look for work elsewhere.
He also defended his group's cut of profits.
"We don't take the money to buy Land Cruisers," he said. "We use the money to maintain the plantation."
1 comment:
In Cambodia even if you are poor and you can't not live in peace! It is so sad!
AH HUN SEN is digging his own grave!
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