Cambodia union leader faces court verdict as crackdown continues

Rong Chhun is accused of ‘incitement’ and faces up to two years in prison if convicted.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia – A Cambodian court will rule on Wednesday whether prominent labour rights activist Rong Chhun is guilty of “incitement”, amid a continuing crackdown on critical voices in the country. The case appears to stem from comments Rong Chhun made about land rights for villagers along the Cambodia-Vietnam border and is being closely watched by the local and international community. The activist, who is in his early 50s, faces up to two years in prison if found guilty. “Rong Chhun is one of Cambodia’s most tireless defenders of labour rights,” said Naly Pilorge, director of LICADHO, a Cambodian human rights group. “His continued imprisonment at the height of a global pandemic needlessly puts his health at risk and he should be released and all charges against him dropped.”