The NGO Human Right Watch denounced Monday that the Cambodian government used the COVID-19 pandemic to imprison union activists and block the right to strike in textile and tourism industries.
“The Cambodian government and employers unscrupulously used the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to further restrict independent trade unions, instead of protecting the welfare and rights of workers at a desperate time,” said HRW deputy Asia director Phil Robertson.
“As labor rights in Cambodia regress, the European Union, the United States and other trading partners should use their influence and increase their pressure on the government to meet its labor rights obligations,” urged Robertson.
