The Boeung Kak lake community organised a buddhist ceremony to commemorate the striking garment workers killed during the violent crackdown by the army of January 3rd (see HERE).
The CNRP claims 6 workers were killed: Yean Rithy, 25, Kheng Kosol, 23, Kim Phally, ?, Sreng Vibol, 22, Ouk Pheak, 23 and Sam Ravy, 26.
The Law in Cambodia still is a questionable item in terms of credibility these days. But the dance has somehow to be danced… Sam Rainsy, Kem Sokha, opposition CNRP co-Presidents, and Rong Chhun, Leader of the Independent Teachers Association, were summonsed at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court this morning to be questioned about their possible incitement to violence during the past weeks workers demonstrations during which 4 or 5 people were killed by army bullets and many others savagely beaten up or beaten unconscious by soldiers. Over a thousand supporters for the three men stood outside the courtroom (together with a sneaky iPhone thief who ran away with at least two pieces). At the time I left, 11:30, the sympathisers were still waiting for the three leaders to come out of the building.
UPDATE: Kem Sokha and Sam Rainsy left the courthouse around 13:30
Mr. Jaap Wienen, Deputy General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) representing 176 million workers worldwide, had a meeting at the Ministry of Labour, giving his full support to the cambodian workers demands of a $US160 monthly salary and the release of the workers and union leaders arrested during the January 2nd and 3rd crackdown (see HERE and HERE).
Surya Subedi, U.N. Human Rights Rapporteur, addressed a small crowd of 80 activists, monks and union leaders who gathered in front of the UNHCHR offices in Phnom Penh to deliver a petition requesting the liberation of 23 workers, activists and union leaders who were arrested during a violent crackdown on striking workers on Jan. 2nd and 3rd, assured those present that he is monitoring the situation.
The other 2013 elections aftermath photographs are HERE.
‘Same Same‘, ‘Royal Silence‘ and ‘30 Years for a Trial‘, the e-books I have published until now are also available on the Japanese iBookstore on iTunes. That is a total of 51 countries… excepting Cambodia as there is no cambodian iTunes yet…
‘A Fine Thread‘, about the ongoing issues in the garment sector of Cambodia, with over 300 photograps and an in-depth text by Robert Carmichael, was uploaded and is waiting Apple’s approval before being available and ready to be downloaded on your iPad for a modest $US 4.99. Should be very soon…
Note that if you are running ‘Mavericks’ on your Apple laptop or desktop, you can now enjoy these publications there as well.
The dedicated website to my e-book collection is HERE.
A number of union leaders as well as buddhist monks held a press conference at Solidarity House to request the release of the 23 people who were arrested during the recent crackdown on striking workers (see HERE and HERE), to halt violence by the authorities and a wage rise to $US160. The press conference was preceded by a ceremony to honour those who were killed during the crackdown.
Nine of them came together to avoid the rule (law?) prohibiting gatherings of more than ten people in the streets of Phnom Penh until the situation is ‘normal’ again. They are from the CNRP Youth and had rehearsed a song about freedom to be sung at Freedom Park. They sang it quickly not far from there, with an audience of two or three: Freedom Place suddenly had become a meeting point for various police and thugs units.
Immediately after the cambodian government celebrated the 35th anniversary of the liberation of Cambodia from the Khmer Rouge by Vietnamese troops during a grandiosely boring ceremony with thousands of disciplined supporters at Koh Pich Island, the opposition CNRP held a press conference at its Chak Angre headquarters where it announced that a complaint would be filed with the International Criminal Court regarding the killing of striking workers by bullets the army denies having fired. So the guns that were seen were toys, the explosions that were heard came from fireworks, and the workers that were seen being beaten to unconsciousness (see HERE) were only part of a carefully organised choreography to instill fear and obedience? All that happened there was not for real?
