Woman shot dead in Cambodia protest clash: activists

[webfact]

Woman shot dead in Cambodia protest clash: activists
by Suy SE

PHNOM PENH, November 13, 2013 (AFP) - 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.

"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.
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.


-- (c) Copyright AFP 2013-11-13

[Rob8891]

What a tragic waste of life. Sad to hear this news.

[anon467367354]

companies may move to other countries so their workers regardless of what their nationalities may be don't get shot just for demanding better working conditions. This is a very sad day for worker's rights and especially for the family of the deceased. RIP

[GrantSmith]

Well that's just taken the heat off of Thailand and it's problems for a day or two...

[Baerboxer]

Western companies using Cambodian suppliers must take note of this. Most Western companies will report CSR in their annual reports and have ethical sourcing policies. These include "sourcing with dignity" which cover human rights, working conditions, child and slave labor issues.

An example of how Thaksin's friend Hun Set deals with a labor dispute in his country. Pity the Cambodian people for what they have suffered over the last few decades.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

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.

Interesting that the Hun didn't include Thailand in his list...

[Jip99]

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.

Interesting that the Hun didn't include Thailand in his list...

At 300 baht a day minimum wage, I doubt that he could.

[Chao Lao Beach]

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.

Which Brands ?

[PrimeAsia]

I was in camo on that day and passed this area 30 minutes after it happened. They also burned a car. By the time i passed, police with batons were squatting on sidewalks in the shade looking bored

Which Brands ?

its related about singaporean SL Garment Processing, they make clothing for GAP and H&M.. I also read in Phnom Phenh Post that H&M is aiming for an exclusivity contract in Cambo.. (so they can exploit workers at a yearly fixed price..)

[Sheryl]

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.

Interesting that the Hun didn't include Thailand in his list...

Labor in Thailand is considerably more expensive than in Cambodia or the other countries mentioned. Wouldn't make sense...

Which is why there are so many Cambodian and Burmese laborers in Thailand.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

That was exactly my point... Thailand's labor market, notable by its omission.