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21 March, 2012
In an astonishing development, the Bavet town governor in Cambodia has admitted to shooting three young women who were striking last month at a shoe factory in Svey Rieng province, but he was only questioned and then released.
Chhouk Bandith appeared before a provincial prosecutor on 16 March and said he fired shots on 20 February into a crowd of thousands of mostly women strikers at the KaoWay Sports Ltd. footwear factory. But despite the confession, no arrest warrant was issued and he was allowed to go free. (See previous ICEM report on story.)
When questioned by the Cambodian press in what has now become a serious stain on Cambodia’s judicial system, the Svey Rieng prosecutor said it was his right not to order the arrest of Chhouk Bandith. He also called the incident unimportant.
Chhouk Bandith
A majority of 6,000 workers at KaoWay, a supplier of shoes for the German company Puma, were in their second wave of strike action when Bandith exited the factory and fired a high-powered weapon equipped with a silencer at them. The shooting was caught on the factory’s security cameras before he fled in a car accompanied by a bodyguard and a uniformed police officer.
The three women, ages 23, 21 and 18, were seriously injured with one – Buot Chinda – near death. She has recovered and after filing a criminal complaint against Bandith, is now in hiding. Reportedly, the three were offered sums of money for their silence ranging from US$500 to US$1,000. None have accepted the bribes.
Because of the shootings, Chhouk Bandith was terminated from his duties as town governor on 6 March by a special decree from Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Led by the union representing the striking workers, the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers’ Democratic Union (C.CAWDU), an affiliate of the International Textile, Garment, Leather Workers’ Federation (ITGLWF), some 27 civil society groups issued a joint statement urging “this case become an example of rule of law, not another reflection of impunity.”
The statement continued: “Recognizing that the Minister of Interior Sar Kheng has identified the suspect of the shooting as being Bavet town governor, Chhouk Bandith, we strongly urge the Royal Government of Cambodia to make the suspect’s arrest an utmost priority. We also urge a proper trial and judgement in accordance with the law.
“We remind the Royal Government of its obligation to ensure that human rights throughout Cambodia be respected. We also remind the Royal Government of its obligation to ensure that every Khmer citizen shall be equal before the law, regardless of rank, title or association.”