Police used "prolonged" live ammunition against striking garment workers in Cambodia. (Photo: LICADHO)
Jan 03, 2014
Five people were reportedly killed after police opened fire on striking garment workers in Cambodia's capital on Friday.
Workers from hundreds of the country's garment factories demonstrated in Phnom Penh's Canadia Industrial Park, home to dozens of factories that make clothing for well-known western brands including H&M and Puma, demanding a doubling of the minimum wage, currently set at $80 a month.
According to local human rights watchdog group Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO), security forces shot live ammunition directly at civilians, and used tear gas and grenades, leaving 21 injured in addition to the five killed.
"The use of live ammunition was prolonged and no efforts appear to have been made to prevent death and serious injury," according to a statement from the group.
"We condemn this appalling use of extreme lethal force by security forces," said Naly Pilorge, LICADHO Director. "Security forces must now put an immediate end to the use of live ammunition against civilians and ensure that all those injured are safely transported to hospital without delay."
The violence marked a second day of clashes between garment workers and police. During the police crackdown on Thursday, rights groups say police detained and violently beat workers, union leaders and monks.
"These latest horrific developments demonstrate why authorities can no longer afford to ignore the social problems and poor living conditions facing workers in Cambodia today," said Moeun Tola, head of the labor program at the Phnom Penh-based Community Legal Education Centre.
___________________
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Five people were reportedly killed after police opened fire on striking garment workers in Cambodia's capital on Friday.
Workers from hundreds of the country's garment factories demonstrated in Phnom Penh's Canadia Industrial Park, home to dozens of factories that make clothing for well-known western brands including H&M and Puma, demanding a doubling of the minimum wage, currently set at $80 a month.
According to local human rights watchdog group Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO), security forces shot live ammunition directly at civilians, and used tear gas and grenades, leaving 21 injured in addition to the five killed.
"The use of live ammunition was prolonged and no efforts appear to have been made to prevent death and serious injury," according to a statement from the group.
"We condemn this appalling use of extreme lethal force by security forces," said Naly Pilorge, LICADHO Director. "Security forces must now put an immediate end to the use of live ammunition against civilians and ensure that all those injured are safely transported to hospital without delay."
The violence marked a second day of clashes between garment workers and police. During the police crackdown on Thursday, rights groups say police detained and violently beat workers, union leaders and monks.
"These latest horrific developments demonstrate why authorities can no longer afford to ignore the social problems and poor living conditions facing workers in Cambodia today," said Moeun Tola, head of the labor program at the Phnom Penh-based Community Legal Education Centre.
___________________
Five people were reportedly killed after police opened fire on striking garment workers in Cambodia's capital on Friday.
Workers from hundreds of the country's garment factories demonstrated in Phnom Penh's Canadia Industrial Park, home to dozens of factories that make clothing for well-known western brands including H&M and Puma, demanding a doubling of the minimum wage, currently set at $80 a month.
According to local human rights watchdog group Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO), security forces shot live ammunition directly at civilians, and used tear gas and grenades, leaving 21 injured in addition to the five killed.
"The use of live ammunition was prolonged and no efforts appear to have been made to prevent death and serious injury," according to a statement from the group.
"We condemn this appalling use of extreme lethal force by security forces," said Naly Pilorge, LICADHO Director. "Security forces must now put an immediate end to the use of live ammunition against civilians and ensure that all those injured are safely transported to hospital without delay."
The violence marked a second day of clashes between garment workers and police. During the police crackdown on Thursday, rights groups say police detained and violently beat workers, union leaders and monks.
"These latest horrific developments demonstrate why authorities can no longer afford to ignore the social problems and poor living conditions facing workers in Cambodia today," said Moeun Tola, head of the labor program at the Phnom Penh-based Community Legal Education Centre.
___________________
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.