Chhim Sithar, a prominent Cambodian union leader, was released from prison on Monday after serving time in connection with her role in a lengthy strike at the NagaWorld casino, the largest casino in Cambodia, The Associated Press reports.
After her release, she reaffirmed her commitment to continue labor actions until justice is achieved for the workers.
In May 2023, Chhim Sithar was sentenced to two years in prison for incitement to commit a felony, a sentence that included time already served prior to her conviction. Her involvement was linked to labor protests that began in December 2021, which aimed to address mass layoffs and alleged anti-union activities at the casino. Her arrest followed a demonstration in January 2022 by laid-off employees demanding their reinstatement.
The dispute began when NagaWorld laid off 373 employees amid financial difficulties exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, Chhim Sithar has been at the forefront of efforts to advocate for the rights of workers within the casino, prompting ongoing protests even during her incarceration.
“About our advocacy for union rights at NagaWorld, we will continue holding strike action until we get a solution. That’s the position we have determined since the first strike,” Chhim Sithar told the news agency shortly after her release.
In her absence, some of the dismissed workers continued to organize protests, calling for her release and the restoration of their jobs. However, in December 2022, the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training reported that more than 200 affected workers had accepted compensation and withdrawn their demands.
NagaWorld is owned by a company linked to the family of the late Malaysian billionaire Chen Lip Keong. The casino has been operational since 1994 and is a major integrated hotel and entertainment complex in the country.
Unlike previous labor actions in Cambodia, which typically occurred in factories or industrial zones outside the capital, the strike at NagaWorld gained attention and sometimes provoked violent responses from police forces.
Last year, Chhim Sithar received recognition for her efforts when she was named among the ten recipients of the U.S. State Department’s annual Human Rights Defender Award. The then-U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia, W. Patrick Murphy, praised her as “a courageous and tenacious labor union leader who peacefully advocates for the rights of Cambodian workers.”
Cambodia’s government has faced longstanding accusations of using the judicial system to suppress dissent and target political adversaries. Following the succession of Prime Minister Hun Manet last year, after his father Hun Sen’s 40-year rule, there have been few indications of political reform or liberalization.
