By Kuch Naren
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
The wives of eight rubber plantation workers—on the run since arrest warrants for stealing rubber resin were issued Dec 8—appealed to Ratanakkiri Provincial Court on Tuesday to cancel the warrants for their husbands.
The women also accused two rubber plantation owners of intimidation, said Pen Bonnar, provincial coordinator of local rights organization Adhoc.
Chhay Chan and Bun Than, owners of the plantation known by its communist-era name "Solidarity Group 14," allegedly told the women that they would no longer buy rubber from them—a boycott that will cause severe hardship for those families, Pen Bonnar said.
Provincial court prosecutor Mey Sokhan said he had not yet seen the complaint but noted that he had no power to prevent arrests sanctioned by a higher court.
As so-called "leaders" of the solidarity group, Chhay Chan and Bun Than have an exclusive monopoly on purchasing rubber tapped from a state-owned 60-hectare plantation.
The leaders act as middlemen between the tappers and resin buyers, giving 50 percent of the rubber's market value to the workers while pocketing a hefty 50 percent for themselves.
Dispute began earlier this year when the eight workers accused the leaders of exploitation, and protested by selling their rubber to local resin businessman Ly Hong Sin, who paid 70 percent of the market price.
Chhay Chan and Bun Than filed charges of robbery against the eight. "It is an injustice that the eight are charged with robbery and it is especially nasty that the solidarity group leaders threatened not to pay their wives," Pen Bonnar said.
Chhay Chan denied Tuesday that the women were intimidated, adding that he continues to pay the tappers 50 percent of the market price. He also said that Ly Hong Sin would soon find himself implicated in the stealing of rubber.
"This company bought stolen dry rubber," he said.
Ly Hong Sin, Tai Seng company-director, said Tuesday that the solidarity group leaders were living parasitically off the tappers' hard work. He called on the government to abolish the plantation's "middlemen who exploit workers," adding, "Let hard-working workers get 100 percent of the income [from tapping]."
The women also accused two rubber plantation owners of intimidation, said Pen Bonnar, provincial coordinator of local rights organization Adhoc.
Chhay Chan and Bun Than, owners of the plantation known by its communist-era name "Solidarity Group 14," allegedly told the women that they would no longer buy rubber from them—a boycott that will cause severe hardship for those families, Pen Bonnar said.
Provincial court prosecutor Mey Sokhan said he had not yet seen the complaint but noted that he had no power to prevent arrests sanctioned by a higher court.
As so-called "leaders" of the solidarity group, Chhay Chan and Bun Than have an exclusive monopoly on purchasing rubber tapped from a state-owned 60-hectare plantation.
The leaders act as middlemen between the tappers and resin buyers, giving 50 percent of the rubber's market value to the workers while pocketing a hefty 50 percent for themselves.
Dispute began earlier this year when the eight workers accused the leaders of exploitation, and protested by selling their rubber to local resin businessman Ly Hong Sin, who paid 70 percent of the market price.
Chhay Chan and Bun Than filed charges of robbery against the eight. "It is an injustice that the eight are charged with robbery and it is especially nasty that the solidarity group leaders threatened not to pay their wives," Pen Bonnar said.
Chhay Chan denied Tuesday that the women were intimidated, adding that he continues to pay the tappers 50 percent of the market price. He also said that Ly Hong Sin would soon find himself implicated in the stealing of rubber.
"This company bought stolen dry rubber," he said.
Ly Hong Sin, Tai Seng company-director, said Tuesday that the solidarity group leaders were living parasitically off the tappers' hard work. He called on the government to abolish the plantation's "middlemen who exploit workers," adding, "Let hard-working workers get 100 percent of the income [from tapping]."
No comments:
Post a Comment