Cambodian Union Leader Arrested for 'Incitement'
Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 3:18 am
In this July 29, 2020, photo, Rong Chhun, president of Cambodia's Independent Teachers' Association, speaks at a factory workers' protest in Phnom Penh calling for benefits after their textile factory was shuttered amidst the coronavirus.
Cambodian authorities have arrested a prominent union leader for allegedly inciting social unrest over border demarcation issues with the neighboring Vietnam, the latest crackdown against opposition voices in the kingdom.
Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian Confederation of Unions and a longtime government critic, was apprehended Friday night at his home. He was taken to court Saturday to hear the charge against him.
If found guilty, Chhun face six months to two years imprisonment and a fine up to about $1,000.
In July he accused the government of "irregularities" at Cambodia's eastern border, which, according to him, caused locals to lose farmland.
Chhun also gave an interview last week to U.S. government-funded Radio Free Asia, in which he discussed the concerns of Cambodian farmers about land infringement by neighboring Vietnam.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s government maintains close relations with Vietnam, a country that help him rise to power after Hanoi invaded Cambodia to oust the Khmer Rouge regime.
Hun Sen’s opponents accuse him of failing to protect Cambodian land.