Deputy Prime Minister and co-Defense Minister Nhiek Bun Chhay has bailed from prison three union officials accused of extortion, a lawyer and a union official said Wednesday.
“I don’t know why he bailed [Nai Sok Veasna, Ly Softy and Sun Chan] out,” said Uk Phourik, a lawyer for three Federal Union of Solidarity representatives from the Maurea garment factory.
The lawyer said he had attempted to bail out the three men but his request had been turned down.
“They didn’t agree,” he said. “But then there was reconciliation from Nhiek Bun Chhay.”
Nhiek Bun Chhay could not be reached for comment and Mong Mony Spea, a lawyer for the factory, said he didn’t know why the minister was involved.
Uk Phourik said he filed a counter-lawsuit on May 11 against the Maurea Factory, accusing management of using fake documents to bring an extortion case against the union leaders. The union leaders claim that the factory gave them money to hold a party in order to entrap them in extortion allegations. Factory management has said that the union continually asked for money to prevent strikes.
The three men were sent to Prey Sar prison on May 12 despite threats by Cambodian Union Federation President Chuon Mom Thol to call strikes at 180 factories if the men were charged.
Som Aun, president of the Cambodian Labor Union Federation, which is part of Chuon Mom Thol’s CUF, said that plans for a general strike were put on hold after the release. He confirmed that Nhiek Bun Chhay bailed the men out.
Union officials said last week that the minister oversaw the peaceful breakup of a May 4 strike at the Russei Keo district factory.
