The Free Trade Union (FTU) on Thursday submitted a letter to the Japanese Embassy in Phnom Penh requesting that embassy officials investigate a Japanese-owned garment factory in Kompong Speu province that it claims tried to intimidate a union representative late last year.
FTU president Chea Mony said Chuob Sok Leap, 28, had been attempting to persuade workers at the Hirota factory in Samraong Tong district to join the union on December 17 and was attacked outside the plant that evening by a group of men wielding steel pipes.
“We concluded that the Japanese employer organized the attack because the victim was injured on the same day she tried to create a union,” Mr. Mony said, adding that he filed a complaint with district police the day after the attack, and was now contacting the Japanese Embassy because the police had failed to respond.
District police chief Khut Sophal said Thursday that he received a complaint about Ms. Sok Leap’s case—but just three days ago.
“A few days ago, we received four complaints about attacks at factories,” he said, including the one at the Hirota factory.
Officials at the Japanese Embassy and the factory could not be reached.
