ANOUNCEMENT

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Cambodian Food and Service Workers’ Federation (CFSWF) We would like to inform to the National and International Organizations, Embassies, UN agency, and Friends that CFSWF was established in a democratic way by the workers’ union from the food and service sector in Cambodia. On Sunday June 26, 2011, CFSWF held its second congress and elected an executive committee. The leaders who were elected in the congress for the second mandate are:

1. Mr. Sar Mora, President of CFSWF
2. Ms. Ou Tephallin, Vice President of CFSWF
3. Mr. Kri Suntha, Secretary General of CFSWF
4. Ms. Kinh Sopheap, Deputy Secretary General of CFSWF

Given this official information we hope that National and International Organizations, Embassies, UN agencies and Friends will co-operate and support this election result in order for CFSWF’s actions to be successful.

For more information please contact our office at 0234559991, 016525781 and 011984883 or by e-mail at cfswf.office@gmail.com

Executive committee members for second mandate

Union group gathering and pray for release Sous Chantha

On morning of May 19, 2011 , More than 200 union group and civil society gathering at Prey Sar Pagoda, close to CC1 prison to pray for release of union leader Sous Chantha who was arrested/charged & sent to CC1 prison on Nov 19, 2010. Workers & friends strongly believe Sous Chantha was framed for his strong labour activities include defecting to C.CAWDU, main union in garment sector who led nation wide strike in Sept 2010, and we call for release Sous Chantha now.

Background
Chantha had worked for the United Apparel Garment factory (formerly Lotus Garment factory) for four years, and had been the leader of his factory’s local union for two years. The union had been affiliated with the Independent & Democratic Union Federation (IDUF) since 2008.

In late 2010, IDUF banned its factory union from advocating for basic labor rights, which led Chantha and his union members to withdraw their affiliation. On November 18, after three days of discussion with CCAWDU, Chantha signed documents confirming the transfer of his union’s 1,000 members from IDUF to CCAWDU.

Later that evening, he left work on his motorbike. He had parked the bike inside the factory grounds, as he always did. He had travelled barely 400 meters before his ordeal started.

The arrest and questioning
Military police on motorbikes stopped Chantha on Street 2002 in Phnom Penh’s Sen Sok district and began questioning him for no apparent reason. Finally, one officer demanded Chantha’s keys, so that he could search his motorbike. Upon conducting the search, the officer found nine small packets containing crystal methamphetamine (also known as ice).

Officers took Chantha to a military police station for further questioning. He denied possessing drugs and told police that he believed the drugs had been planted in retaliation for his union’s transfer from IDUF to CCAWDU.

Despite this, Chantha was charged with drug trafficking and forced to spend the night at the police station. He was taken to the municipal court the next day. Outside the court, union leaders and more than 200 workers from his factory gathered to protest his arrest and demand his release.

At the court, Chantha was questioned again by an official. He denied for a second time that he was in possession of drugs and repeated his claim that he had been framed. Investigating Judge Phou Pov Son nevertheless placed him in immediate pretrial detention. Throughout the proceeding, the judge never actually questioned Chantha directly.

A mysterious roadblock
The many irregularities in Chantha’s case include contradictions in the police report: officers had told Chantha that they were tipped off about the drugs, and that authorities had been following him for three days.

However, the military police’s own report claimed that they had been setting up a roadblock to search vehicles for weapons, and only stopped Chantha when they saw him passing and became suspicious. LICADHO has independently confirmed that there was no roadblock in place at the time.

If convicted, Chantha faces a sentence of two to five years imprisonment.

CFSWF send letter to Thailand government to express concern on arrested of Somyot Pruksakasemsuk

Cambodian Food and Service Workers’ Federation send letter to Abhisit Vejjajiva Prime Minister of Kingdom of Thailand to release Mr. Somyot Pruksakasemsuk, the human right defender who was arrested on 30th April 2011 and is currently being held at Klong Prem Central Prison, in Bangkok. Read e-mail of CFSWF send to Abhisit Vejjajiva

Cambodia Union send letter to Canada government

on Asbestos

Civil Society Welcomes Release of Thach Saveth

March 2, 2011 (Phnom Penh) – We, the undersigned civil society organizations, commend the Supreme Court’s decision today to release Thach Saveth, who was wrongly convicted of murdering union leader Ros Sovannareth in 2004.
The Supreme Court overturned Thach Saveth’s conviction and ordered him released on bail pending a reinvestigation of the case. Thach Saveth was originally convicted in February 2005 and sentenced to 15 years in prison. His conviction was then upheld by the appeal court in February 2009.
The decision is long overdue, as Thach Saveth’s initial trial and appeal were blatantly flawed. The lower courts relied solely on written evidence prepared by the police, and failed to conduct interviews with supposed eyewitnesses to the murder. The prosecution’s witnesses never actually testified in court, meaning they could not be cross-examined by defense lawyers. One witness attempted to testify at the appeal hearing, but the judge refused to allow it. Meanwhile, multiple defense witnesses testified that Thach Saveth was not even in Phnom Penh on the day of the murder. This did not convince the lower courts. Read full text…

Thach Saveth at the Phnom Penh court

Training on Union Organizing for Beer Promotion Girl

CFSWF has conducted training on Union Organizing for beer promotion girl at CFSWF in Phnon Penh on February 17,2011.  The training has been conducted for one day and 40 beer promotion workers was invited to attend the training. Many of Beer promotion girl in Cambodia are not yet organize and they face many problems such as sexual harassment, violent, discrimination, and force to selling sex. CFSWF has been working to promote working condition and living standard for beer promotion workers in Cambodia since year 2006. CFSWF keep fighting for workers right and good working condition.

Beer Promotion Workers in Siem Reap form Union

57 beer-sellers and restaurant and bar hostesses came to a Workplace Labour Rights Conference, where University of Guelph Professor Ian Lubek and students spoke on Cambodian workplace risks and lack of living wages. Mr. Lim Sok San from the NGO APHEDA spoke on violence against beer-sellers and the organization of a union in Phnom Penh, accompanied by videoclips including a message from Sharan Burrow. Then Mr. Sar Mora of the Cambodian Food Service Workers Federation (CFSWF) gave information about Cambodian labour rights and how unions can organize and intervene, e.g., with such national beer distributors as Tiger Beer (Cambodia Breweries Ltd) and Angkor Beer (Cambrew). Most of the participants then agreed to form a Siem Reap union for beer-sellers and hostesses. They elected a 7-person executive by secret ballot, with Ms. Phal Sophear as President. She had worked 9 years as a beer-seller and then an NGO health interviewer and outreach worker for beer sellers for 7 years.