To the RFA reporters and employees who were fired: If you read this message, could you please email us a copy of your petition/protest letter(s)? Please send them to kiletters@gmail.com. Thank you!
(All Photos: DAP news)
RFA reporters strike and burn tires in front of RFA’s office in Phnom Penh to oppose dictatorship
25 September 2009
DAP news
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
In the evening of 25 September 2009, a group of well known and senior reporters for Radio Free Asia (Khmer service) in Phnom Penh held a strike by burning tires to oppose the unexplained firing order issued by RFA’s Khmer service director.
The strike was held by well known RFA reporters: Phan Sophat, Huy Vannak, Mrs. Sieng Sophorn, and by Thai Sothea, another well known RFA employee who is the admin director for RFA website. The strike took place at 7PM in front of the RFA office in Phnom Penh. The tire burning-strike took place a few hours after Kem Sos, RFA’s director for Khmer Service, fired Huy Vannak and Thai Sothea.
Huy Vannak is a reporter known for his reports on the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, human rights violations, anti-corruption, land disputes and land-grabbing, human trafficking, and in particular for his interviews conducted under RFA’s program: “RFA’s listeners”. Thai Sothea is the admin director for the RFA website which is known to be well organized and containing information useful to the public.
Including the firing of Huy Vannak and Thai Sothea, the number of RFA employees firing due to [alleged] grudge and revenge has increased to 3. Mrs. Sieng Sophorn was fired earlier on Thursday also. The firing of Huy Vannak and Thai Sothea took place after the pair opposed the firing of Mrs. Sieng Sophorn, the pair considered her firing as being illegal and that it was done due to clan revenge purpose.
Chea Mony, President of the Free Trade Union of Workers in the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWKC), called these unexplained firing of RFA’s employees as being illegal. He indicated that the labor law stipulates that employees who have been employed for more than two years can be fired only if they commit mistakes, otherwise, the firing for no apparent reason is a violation of the labor law. All three RFA employees who were fired have worked for RFA for more than two years.
Chea Mony said that he will bring this case to the attention of the ministry of Labor and he will also send a letter to the US embassy, as well as the RFA administration to inform them about this issue.
Huy Vannak called this firing an action that lacks thoughtfulness, as well as illegal: “This is a wrong action, and I must protest back.” Thai Sothea said that his firing was “illegal.”
Kem Sos, director of RFA’s Khmer service, told reporters earlier that he will not comment on this issue and he asked reporters to send their questions to US officials in Washington DC instead.
After the tire burning-strike, the fired reporters handed a protest petition to the US embassy and they threatened to continue their protest as long as there is no proper legal resolution to their cases.
The RFA employees above were fired by the administration at 6:50PM on 25 September, they then burnt tire to show their protest against these firings. The protest took place in front of RFA’s office located behind the royal palace in Phnom Penh.
RFA fired two additional employees after the pair opposed the firing of RFA reporter Sieng Sophorn. Huy Vannak and Thai Sothea were called in by Kem Sos on 25 September and the latter informed them that RFA administration is conducting its internal structural reform, therefore, RFA decided to end its agreement with the pair and that no protest is allowed in this case.
25 September 2009
DAP news
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
In the evening of 25 September 2009, a group of well known and senior reporters for Radio Free Asia (Khmer service) in Phnom Penh held a strike by burning tires to oppose the unexplained firing order issued by RFA’s Khmer service director.
The strike was held by well known RFA reporters: Phan Sophat, Huy Vannak, Mrs. Sieng Sophorn, and by Thai Sothea, another well known RFA employee who is the admin director for RFA website. The strike took place at 7PM in front of the RFA office in Phnom Penh. The tire burning-strike took place a few hours after Kem Sos, RFA’s director for Khmer Service, fired Huy Vannak and Thai Sothea.
Huy Vannak is a reporter known for his reports on the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, human rights violations, anti-corruption, land disputes and land-grabbing, human trafficking, and in particular for his interviews conducted under RFA’s program: “RFA’s listeners”. Thai Sothea is the admin director for the RFA website which is known to be well organized and containing information useful to the public.
Including the firing of Huy Vannak and Thai Sothea, the number of RFA employees firing due to [alleged] grudge and revenge has increased to 3. Mrs. Sieng Sophorn was fired earlier on Thursday also. The firing of Huy Vannak and Thai Sothea took place after the pair opposed the firing of Mrs. Sieng Sophorn, the pair considered her firing as being illegal and that it was done due to clan revenge purpose.
Chea Mony, President of the Free Trade Union of Workers in the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWKC), called these unexplained firing of RFA’s employees as being illegal. He indicated that the labor law stipulates that employees who have been employed for more than two years can be fired only if they commit mistakes, otherwise, the firing for no apparent reason is a violation of the labor law. All three RFA employees who were fired have worked for RFA for more than two years.
Chea Mony said that he will bring this case to the attention of the ministry of Labor and he will also send a letter to the US embassy, as well as the RFA administration to inform them about this issue.
Huy Vannak called this firing an action that lacks thoughtfulness, as well as illegal: “This is a wrong action, and I must protest back.” Thai Sothea said that his firing was “illegal.”
Kem Sos, director of RFA’s Khmer service, told reporters earlier that he will not comment on this issue and he asked reporters to send their questions to US officials in Washington DC instead.
After the tire burning-strike, the fired reporters handed a protest petition to the US embassy and they threatened to continue their protest as long as there is no proper legal resolution to their cases.
The RFA employees above were fired by the administration at 6:50PM on 25 September, they then burnt tire to show their protest against these firings. The protest took place in front of RFA’s office located behind the royal palace in Phnom Penh.
RFA fired two additional employees after the pair opposed the firing of RFA reporter Sieng Sophorn. Huy Vannak and Thai Sothea were called in by Kem Sos on 25 September and the latter informed them that RFA administration is conducting its internal structural reform, therefore, RFA decided to end its agreement with the pair and that no protest is allowed in this case.
19 comments:
What is happening to Kem Sos? He wants to appoint more Islamic reporters or what?
Mr. Kem Sos should come forwrd to explain about these cases.
KEM SOS, can't even speak khmer . First of all how he became of the head of this RFA?. Borin is much better than this guy.Plus theirs are way to slow behine the events.
Kem Sos is one of the Khmer Rouge's active advocates. He chose to put the Khmer Rouge's flag on the cover of his small bilingual English-Khmer dictionary published in America in 1977.
If there wasn't any probable cost,
then Kem Sos have to pay a heavy price.
Guys, we should just wait for RFA's explanation for the sackings first before we draw any conclusion. RFA said it lay off (sack) staff due to restructuring and cost cutting. This is recession and the sackings of staff happened everywhere. We should hear two sides of the story. So far we only heard from the sacked staff. They have been sacked, of course they are angry. But they have not told the truth of why they were laid off, beside accusation of grudges and cronyism, which is baseless.
I felt sorry for them because they have no more means to earn a living any more. It is hard to be sacked during a recession time. However, RFA has faced with fund cuts as well so they have to do cost cutting at the organization. It's best to wait for a real reasons of the sackings before making any conclusion who is right, who is wrong.
You got a good ideas but is not really count in this cases. You needs to tell the reasons why you got fired. It is not just call to an office and says you are fires. If it is the budget cutting, Kim Sos still can do to save their jobs.
As far as being private organization especially with no fault employment clause, employee serves at the pleasure of the boss.If s/he was let go as Trump put it "you are fired" then it's too bad and s/he sould live on and not burn the bridge.
It's silly thing to do for the protesters to get in between the boss business.Now all got fired.
RFA khmer service so popular with khmer people all over country and khmer oversea due to true and trust report on current cambodia politic and coruption.
From listener myself, fire of employee RFA khmer service need to explain to public(listener) of reason. This radio is fully paid by Americans tax payer.
RFA khmer lister everytime.
This is unacceptable case of Kem Sos' action. Kem Sos is clearly colluding with Hun Sen for sure on this. Hun Sen did not want the KR trial to go on, and now Kem Sos fired a hard-working reporter Phan Sophat had dedicated his time and energy to cover the KR trial.
We must fire Kem Sos instead. The four employees are innocent.
I think we must lodge a complaint directly at Libby Liu, President of RFA to unseat Kem Sos and his collusion with a dictator Hun Sen.
Here is RFA main contact.
contact@rfa.org
Khmer Canada.
ខ្ញុំរស់នៅស្រុកអាមេរិក៣០ឆ្នាំហើយមិនឮេវិទ្យុអាស៊ី
សេរីនិយាយមួយមាត់ទៅប្រាប់រដ្ធាភិបាលអាមេរិក
ទេ។មិនដួចចិនយួនសាស្តដទៃៗទៀតគេច្រើនតែ
រាយការទៅប្រមុខរាជរដ្ធាភិបាលថាប្រជាជនរបស់គេ
រស់នៅមិនបានសុខប៉ុន្មានទេគឺដោយសារតែមាន
អ្នកមិនដឹងខុសត្រូវមកយាយីពលរដ្ធរបស់ផងគេជា
រៀងរាល់ថ្ងៃ។
ចំណែកវិទ្យុអាស៊ីសេរីនឹងសមាគម៍ខ្មែរប្រចាំតំបន់
ដែលខ្មែរយើងបានរស់នៅគ្មានពាក្យមួយមាត់
សួរទៅគេទេ។បើតាមខ្ញុំគិតពួកគេនឹងគិតថាពលរដ្ធ
ខ្មែរដែលលោករស់នៅទីនោះជាអ្នកក្រជាអ្នកមិន
ចេះភាសាររបស់គេជាអ្នកល្ងង់ទើបតែចេញពីរបប
ពលពតដួច្នេះហើយបានជាពួកគេហ្នឹងមិនយកចិត្ត
ទុក្ខដាក់នៅប្រពលរដ្ធខ្មែរ។បើមិនជឿខ្ញុំសូមសើប
មើលទៅបើខ្ញុំនិវាខុស។
Well, it is hard to know well what is going inside. Who knows the real story, pls give the explanation. One org has one rule, as long as it respects the Cambodia Labor Law, then it is fine.
Sometimes employer does what best for the interest of his/her organization.To explain to public why/what in employee termination is not necessary.Employer is the buyer who can end relations with employee at his/her discretion and pleasure.
RFA may be funded by public fund but it has its own internal rules and obligation in order to receive fund.
Those ex-employees need to move on and look for other jobs. Remember RFA is not the only employer in the world.
7:29 PM
Fuck you, asshole! These dedicated men and women are working for the interests of the country and its people. Your statement is based on faulty assumptions, which also correlates to your ignorance.
Pi Anh CPP Traitor
you now burning a tire on the road can damage the road surface. no wonder there were a lot of potholes on roadways in cambodia. then they wonder! hey, next time,if you want to burn tire, do it on a dirt surface, please! think smartly about it, ok!
9:54pm,
Employee comes and goes as the boss see fit. To fire one,the boss needed not to explain reason to public,period.It's a contractual binding between employee and the boss. Usually the boss makes the call not employee.
Apparently you are too emotional and personal.
Civility shows who you are,calm down,Ok?
7:29pm
Where can I find the follow-up of this story? It's 2 years already. Huy Vannak is now working for CTN reporting khmer news @ noon. His reporting is opposit to his previous journalism style. He is now is on the government side trying to protest with the Thai-invasion. I can see how he becomes like that (adding his own opinion to the reports which is not a professional journalist) supporting the current government because he needs food on the table for his family. Also, Khmer is coming together from everywhere to fight Thai-invasion, he is just part of those khmer people who don't have the opportunity to say their opinions on the TV that can be seen around the world (try to search it on Youtube.com).
I'm proud of Khmer this time that never back down to protect the land of our ancestors. I would wish, we do the same to the Viet-silence-land invasion. Khmer people! It is time now. Wake up, protecting our land by all actions (of course must follow the national and international laws). We can be part of this as Huy Vannak does but it's a different helpful manner with professional skills. Be yourself and help your country, you don't have to change your ideal of human principles. Thanks for reading this, I am truly wasted my words. What I should be doing is finding all the documents and fill them up for the big coming court-room between Khmer vs. Thai. If you don't like my view plase give a feedback.
1. Correct your grammar
2. Who are you again?
3. What words did you just waste?
4. I really totally agree to what u really want us to do.
5. Time will come and will go as fast as you say it. We will take 10 years for this Khmer vs Thai in the courtroom under foreigns' eyes.
6. Viet will not go anywhere until they got what they want. It's okay sometimes to loose some of our fat (land) because we can't get it back anyway. Live with peace and get married with all the viet chicks to produce white skin color kids.
7. So, what do you say?
8. I know, you say fuck me.
9. But that is not the answer. You can't do anything about it. Viet is everywhere. You can wait until Sen's government gone but it will take u for approximately 30 years. Then the next Sen coming for another 20 years. You screw like shit.
10. Solution, work with today government and let's make friend to the country next to us...starting with the people of thai and viet. They will be part of us for enternity.
Who can provide an update (October 2012)?
Post a Comment