Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Woman shot dead in Cambodia protest clash


A Cambodian anti-riot police officer kicks a protester during a clash between police and garment workers in Phnom Penh on November 12, 2013

AFP News – Nov 12,2013

A woman was shot dead and several people injured as Cambodian riot police used live rounds, rubber bullets and teargas in clashes with protesting garment workers Tuesday, rights groups said, condemning the violence.

Unrest erupted as hundreds of employees from a factory supplying global clothing brands marched towards Prime Minister Hun Sen's home in the heart of Phnom Penh to demand better working conditions.

In one of the most bloody crackdowns on a string of protests in the capital in recent months, a woman selling rice at a nearby stall suffered a fatal gunshot wound, activists said.

Several others were believed to have been hurt by bullets or police beatings, with one in a serious condition.

A Cambodian protester runs as anti riot police officers fire tear gas during a clash between police and garment workers in Phnom Penh on November 12, 2013

"Today's violence and the death of an innocent bystander is another example of police brutality. Exercising one's right to peacefully gather and voice one's needs for a better livelihood shouldn't be a deadly event," said Naly Pilorge, of local rights groups Licadho in a statement.

Authorities confirmed one person had been killed, but declined to comment on whether security forces had fired live rounds.

"Police will investigate whether the woman died from a real bullet or anything else," military police spokesman Kheng Tito told AFP.

He had earlier said that security forces had used water cannon as demonstrators threw rocks and set a police vehicle alight in the unrest -- the latest in a series of outbreaks of worker unrest at factories producing goods for western firms.

The dead woman was named as 49-year-old Eng Sokhom by family members.

"My mother was shot in the chest while she was selling rice on the roadside," said her daughter Vong Voleak.


Cambodian protesters throw stones during a clash between police and garment workers in Phnom Penh on November 12, 2013

The victim's niece said authorities had come to "threaten" the family.


"They said, 'Maybe your mother also joined the protest. That's why she was shot'," she said, adding "who will take responsibility for this?"

An AFP reporter at the scene said local people had found what appeared to be a bullet casing near the street stall.

Unions said violence broke out as police tried to stop over a thousand workers from the Singapore-owned SL Garment Processing factory -- which supplies brands like Gap and H&M -- as they made their way through the capital.

"We went to the prime minister to seek his intervention to improve the working conditions at the factory. But authorities used weapons to crack down on them," said Kong Athit, deputy leader of the Coalition of Cambodia Apparel Workers' Democratic Union which organised the march.

Hundreds of riot police, many armed with batons and shields, were on the capital's streets, which were littered with rocks and tear gas canisters after the protesters were dispersed.

An AFP reporter saw more than a dozen people -- including several monks -- rounded up by police. Officers beat a number of protesters in their custody and left several bleeding.

The situation appeared to have calmed down by Tuesday afternoon.

The Cambodian Center for Human Rights said it "strongly condemns the violent turn of events" and urged the government to investigate the shooting -- the second death of a civilian in the Cambodian capital in two months.

Opposition rallies against Hun Sen's ruling party turned violent in September, leaving one protester dead.

SL workers have been demonstrating periodically for weeks in a dispute with employers that includes claims of intimidation over the use of military police in factory inspections.

Cambodia's multibillion-dollar garment industry, which employs about 650,000 people, is a key source of foreign income for the impoverished country.

Disputes over pay and working conditions are common in the sector, where workers can earn around $110 a month with overtime.

In July the International Labour Organisation accused Cambodia of backsliding in efforts to improve working conditions in the sector.

The kingdom was failing to make progress in areas such as worker and fire safety and the use of child labour, it said in a report.

Prime Minister Hun Sen has said protests may imperil the country's garment industry by persuading firms to relocate to Myanmar, Laos and India where labour is cheaper.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

why the government did not let the workers protest? If they are allowed to protest, nothing happened.

Anonymous said...

This is how the Khmers lost their lands to Vietnam (Srok Youn) and eventually lose their place in the world (Ors Dei Nowv). It is not so much because the Vietnameses (Youns) are smarter and stronger but simply because the Khmers are stupid and weak!!! Just look at the images of how the Khmer security (be it Khmer CPP or Khmer rouge)treated their own people and you will understand why Khmers messed up. No foreigners ever had to kill the Khmers directly; simply gave Khmers a dose stimulance and the work (killing Khmers) was done. Khmers are different, even when they live oversea, they are negatively different from the rest of the world...easily corrupted, easily mellowed :-) Just be that way!!! Observe the laughing police, it must be a joyful day!

Anonymous said...

ឯ​ណាទៅអាឆ្កែកន្ទុយខ្វៀន
*អាយួនហ៊ុន រង្សី, អាស្វាញញឹមបោក-ដូចមុខ​អាយីវ
*អាយួនហ៊ុនសុខា ?
អាយួនឆ្អឹនក្តិត ស៊ីក្តិត!..ឆ្អឹនក្ត ស៊ីក្ត!
-
អាបិសាច-អត់ស្រមោល
-អាយួន មាន់ស្ងោរជ្រក់ ហ៊ុន រង្សី
-អាយួន ការីស្វា ហ៊ុន សុខា
-អាសង្គ្រោះខ្មែរក្លែងក្លាយ-សង្គ្រោះកៅអី​​​​ចោរ!
-អាអួតតាំងខ្លួនឯងបន្លំជួយសង្រ្គោះខ្មែរ

អាគុកអស់នេះទៅណាអស់ហើយ?

* អាឆ្កែហ៊ុន សែនឲ្យលុយពួកវាគេចទៅដើរ
ស៊ីចាយក្រៅស្រុកមួយរយ:និងដើរបោកបញ្ឆោត
លុយកាក់ខ្មែរនៅបរទេស ដើម្បី​ប្រជាភិថុត បន្លំអូសបន្លាយពេលវេលាទុកឱកាសឲ្យអាខ្វាក់
និងពួកអាយួនរៀបចំខ្លួន​សម្លាប់ខ្មែរចោល
ជាបន្តបន្ទាប់!

Anonymous said...

Why didn't they protect eastern border?

Anonymous said...

The next time must to know that all of hun sen animaux they use the real weapon against khmer civil, so must to have sommes things for auto defend do not let this devil gorvenement kill as an animal.

Anonymous said...

Sabbay nass dench ban ke, ,in deng tha tgei na mous ke kat kor kloun aign vihn heuy ah pouk Viet's dog. Anyways, your regime is still illigal of law.

Anonymous said...

អាយួនរៀបចំឲ្យអា CNRP គេចខ្លួន​មួយរយ:

ពេលស្រុកខ្មែរមានបញ្ហា
-អាផ្តាច់ការតាំងខ្លួនជាមហាត្មៈគន្ធី..សម រង្សី
-អាយួនផ្តាច់ការ.................កឹម សុខា
-មីស្វាអួតតាំងខ្លួនជា AUNG SAN SUU KYI
.......មួ សុខហួ
________________________________

** អាមាន់ស្ងោរជ្រក់ សម រង្សី
-វាត្រឡប់ទៅស្រុកខ្មែរ​​​​​​ថ្ងៃនេះ
12 - 11 - 2013 តែមិនចូលភ្នំពេញទេ
វាបន្លំគេច(បញ្ហា)។
......វាយកលេសវៀងទៅដើរលេង
នៅប្រាសាទព្រះវិហារសិន ។

Anonymous said...

សំដីអាមេប៉ូលីស ជួន សុវណ្ណជាអ្នកបញ្ចារឲ្យវ៉ៃ!វ៉ៃ ទៅលើបាតុករ ព្រោះវាមានបញ្ចារពីអង្គការលើគឺ
អាខ្វាក់ ហ៊ុន សែន វាចេះប្រើពាក្យនិយាយ បាតុករមិនត្រូវគុបដុំថ្មមកលើប៉ូលីសប៉េអ៊ីមទេ កងសត្តកិច្ច
គេមកការពារ ពេលណាវាមកការពារបាតុករគឺពេលហ្នឹងហើយមានស្លាប់ជាពុំខានឡើយ ពពួកអាចចក
ប៉ូលីសប៉េអ៊ីម ទាំងអស់នេះវាមិនមែនជាខ្មែរទេ វាជាសត្រូវរបស់រាស្ត្រខ្មែរព្រោះពួកវាការពារនៅអំណាចឲ្យ
អា ហ៊ុន ខ្វាក់សែន ជាឆ្កែកញ្ចះយួនដែលកំពុងតែបំផ្លាញប្រទេសខ្មែរ ។

Anonymous said...

HUN XEN OWNED CAMBODIA!

1. Country for sale

2. Land concession

3. Deforestation

Anonymous said...




កណ្ដួយម៉ែអាប៉ូលីសចុយម្រ៉ាយ... អាតិរច្ឆាន!
កុំបានធ្វើឆ្កែយួនប៉ុនហ្នឹងសំញ៉ែងឬកក្អេងក្អាងពេក
កុំខ្លាំងពេក កុំធ្វើឬកយូកូងបាតផ្សារខ្លាំងពេក
ប្រយ័ត្នអាយួនយកទៅការីខ្ទិះដូងសណ្ដែកដីក្លែម
ស្រា-សទៅ...អាថ្លើម..!

Anonymous said...

ពួកអាបក្សប្រជាជនបានធ្វើអំពើអាក្រក់ច្រើនណាស់!
បើ សហរដ្ឋអាមេរិចមិនកំចាត់ពួកអានេះចោលអោយអស់ទេ
នោះសហរដ្ឋអាមេរិចមិនសមធ្វើជាអ្នកការពារយុត្តិធម៌និងមេដឹកនាំនៅលើពិភពលោកទេ...

Anonymous said...

You're not human...!! The HS regime gave my people problems with social corruption, and we're demand for our rights. Why you're using excessive force to my innocent civilians??? Wake up Khmers..!! I am very sad to see this happen to my people...You gave us blood, and you’ll soon receive blood, too. //

Anonymous said...

You're not human...!! The HS regime gave my people problems with social corruption, and we're demanding for our rights. Why you're using excessive force to my innocent civilians??? Wake up Khmers..!! I am very sad to see this happen to my people...You gave us blood, and you’ll soon receive blood, too. //