28 April, 2020IndustriALL Global Union is urging the government of Cambodia to immediately release union leader Soy Sros and to drop the prosecution against her.
Soy Sros, a local union president of Collective Union of Movement of Workers (CUMW) at Superl Holdings Ltd, was arrested on 2 April after posting a message on Facebook, commenting on dismissals at the company:
"Superl is disrespecting the recommendations of Hun Sen, the Prime Minister of Cambodian government, it terminated employment contracts of factory workers including a pregnant worker on the ground of lack of raw material due to Covid-19”.
“Soy Sros was rightfully exercising her freedom of speech to defend the interest of workers laid off by Superl Holdings Ltd. Criminalization of her speech is unacceptable because what she said are mere facts,”
says IndustriALL general secretary Valter Sanches.
“The Cambodian government had expressed its commitment to protect freedom of expression by ratifying the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 1992. Instead of imprisoning Soy Sros, the Cambodian government should act as a constructive mediator between the company and union.”
According to CUWM president Pav Sina, Soy Sros’ health is deteriorating while she is being held in the Kompong Speu provincial prison. Sina says that although Sros is receiving medical treatment in prison, she should be released as soon as possible and given access to medical treatment in a hospital.