Friday: At least three -possibly five- killed at factory clash

geovalin · January 3, 2014

There have been widespread reports that Cambodian police opened fire on garment factory workers protesting for better conditions in Phnom Penh today, injuring several people. Some reports, as yet unconfirmed, say there have been fatalities.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing protesters in blood-soaked clothes being driven away from the protest site at Cambodia’s Veng Sreng Street.

@AFP tweeted:

#BREAKING

Cambodian police open fire on protesting garment workers demanding higher wages, wounding several

— Agence France-Presse (@AFP)

January 3, 2014

Earlier, journalist Kevin Doyle tweeted:

Report of one protester possibly killed at Veng Sreng st clash

— Kevin Doyle (@doyle_kevin)

January 3, 2014

Just witnessed young man near Veng Sreng street being carried unconscious on motorcycle with blood-soaked t-shirt. Chest wound I think

— Kevin Doyle (@doyle_kevin)

January 3, 2014

You can find AP’s report on Thursday’s developments here: Cambodian troops quash protest at garment factory

We’ll have a full report on today’s events in Phnom Penh as soon as possible…

source

http://asiancorrespondent.com/117856/cambodia-police-open-fire-on-garment-factory-protestors/

geovalin · January 3, 2014

At least three protesters have been shot dead by police this morning at the Canadia industrial complex in the capital’s Por Sen Chey district, Phnom Penh deputy police chief Chuon Narin has confirmed.

The use of force came as riot police moved in to break up a demonstration by thousands of workers who blocked Veng Sreng street, the site of an ongoing demonstration that began yesterday evening and saw hundreds of riot police deployed to the area after midnight.

Only moments ago, Post reporters on the scene confirmed that the widespread use of automatic weapons fire was still ongoing.

Union leaders and rights activists reported even higher death totals.

Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian Confederation of Unions, said he had received information that four strikers had been shot dead and many more injured.

“The situation now is still tense,” he told the Post. “Why are they cracking down on us as we just demanding our salary?”

Chan Soveth, a monitor for local rights group Adhoc who was at the scene, also said he had heard four strikers were killed, with another 10 badly injured and multiple arrests.

“They were beating people on their heads,” Soveth added, saying authorities tried to chase strikers who attempted to run to their rented rooms near the site.

National Military Police spokesman Brigadier General Kheng Tito, who would confirm only one death when reached earlier, defended the use of force.

“We’re just doing our jobs. We fear the security situation, so we have to crack down on them,” he said. “If we allow them to continue the strike, later on, it will become messy and more complicated to control.”

Tito added that nine police officials were injured by stones, some fired from slingshots, during clashes with workers in the area.

Dave Welsh, from labour rights group Solidarity Center, condemned the police use of live ammunition as outrageous.

“In that economic zone, things have been getting out of hand,” he said. “Whatever the case, this is complete disproportionate use of force, illegal and completely outrageous on behalf of the government."

The demonstration comes amid an ongoing national strike that began last week when the Ministry of Labour's Labour Advisory Committee set a new monthly minimum wage of $95 - $65 less than striking unions demanded. The ministry raised the minimum wage another $5 earlier this week. Additional reporting by Shane Worrell and Sean Teehan

source

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/least-three-killed-factory-clash

geovalin · January 3, 2014

Check these pictures!!!

Khmers kill Khmers

http://johnvink.com/news/2014/01/khmer-kill-khmer/

geovalin · January 3, 2014

Cambodian security forces have opened fire on protesting garment workers on the outskirts of the capital Phnom Penh, killing at least three people.

Military police fired warning shots in the air and then fired at protesters on Friday, leaving at least three people dead.

"Three people died and two were injured," Phnom Penh deputy police commissioner Chuon Narin said.

The incident happened after thousands of workers blocked the road in front of factories and later faced off with security personnel in the Veng Sreng area of Phnom Penh.

Rights activist Chan Soveth of local rights group Adhoc, who was at the site, says security forces "used rifles and other things to crack down on the strikers" and "beat them on their heads."

Military police spokesman Kheng Tito says the crackdown came after nine policemen were injured by stones and slingshots.

He says two protesters have been arrested.

"We were afraid about the security so we had to crack down on them," Kheng Tito said.

"If we allow them to continue the strike it will become anarchy."

'Unacceptable' crackdown

Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy has denounced the crackdown, as prime minister Hun Sen faces growing public anger on the streets of the capital.

"It's an unacceptable attempt to break not only a worker strike but the whole worker movement as well as the democratic movement which is developing in Cambodia following the July elections," Mr Rainsy said.

The clash comes a day after a special military unit was deployed against garment workers, in a move described by rights activists as a "disturbing new tactic" by the authorities.

The incidents mark a violent turn after two weeks of relatively peaceful strikes, marches and demonstrations on an unprecedented scale in Cambodia.

The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) has courted some 350,000 garment factory workers with the promise of a minimum monthly wage equivalent to $US160, a proposal dismissed by the government as unsustainable.

Striking garment workers have joined protests led by the opposition demanding prime minister Hun Sen step down and call a new election because of alleged vote fraud at last July's election.

There have been daily rallies in Phnom Penh against Hun Sen's government, with an estimated 20,000 or more opposition supporters taking to the streets on Sunday.

Hun Sen, a 61-year-old former Khmer Rouge cadre who defected and oversaw Cambodia's rise from the ashes of war, has ruled for 28 years, and has vowed to continue until he is 74.

AFP

source

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-03/an-at-least-three-killed-as-cambodian-police-open-fire-on-prote/5184044?section=australianetworknews