About 1,000 workers plan to protest outside a Phnom Penh garment factory today to demand the release of their union leader, who was arrested last week and charged with distributing drugs, workers said yesterday.
Bun Vanda, who works at the United Apparel garment factory in Sen Sok district’s Toek Thla commune, said about 1,000 workers would gather alongside the family of arrested union leader Suon Chantha.
“As long as our leader is not released from prison, we will continue to stay away from work,” she said.
Military police arrested Mr Chantha after he left work on Thursday. Police claim they discovered nine packets of an unidentified narcotic under the saddle of the suspect’s motorcycle. Mr Chantha was charged with drug smuggling on Friday and detained in Prey Sar prison.
Police spotted Mr Chantha trying to avoid a traffic checkpoint, deputy Phnom Penh military police commander Pong Savrith said yesterday.
“He was afraid of taking his motorbike past the police stationed there, so we suspected him and checked him,” he said.
Mr Savrith would not comment on alleged irregularities with the case, and refused to say whether police have since found any other evidence to suggest that Mr Chantha was involved in drug smuggling. He said the drugs found in Mr Chantha’s motorcycle had not been identified yet.
Mr Chantha represented around 900 of the factory’s workforce on behalf of the Democratic Independent Solidarity Union Federation–part of the CPP-affiliated Cambodian Confederation for Worker Rights.
But in the days before his arrest, he was in negotiations to defect to the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union, according to representatives of both unions.
CCAWDU President Ath Thon said Mr Chantha began discussions with his union on Nov 16, two days before his arrest.
“Before there were no problems but when they resign and want to join us, there are problems,” he added.
Phuong Mountry, DISUF president, also claimed the timing of the arrest was suspicious, adding he did not believe Mr Chantha was involved in drug smuggling.
“I dare to assert that this man has never used or smuggled drugs. But I don’t know what to say since police claim they have evidence,” he said.
(Additional reporting by Ian Williamson)
