By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Community leaders have spoken out against the recent detention of Cambodian union leader Chhim Sithar in an International Human Rights Day event at Springvale.
One of the speakers was Clarinda MP Meng Heang Tak, who said the event was to show solidarity and voice their concerns about Ms Sithar’s situation.
“We call on the Cambodian Government to release her.
“Democracy and the fight for workers’ rights should not be treated as a crime.”
This year, Ms Sithar had led strikes against the lay-off of more than 1300 workers at a Malaysian-owned casino NagaWorld in Cambodia.
She had only last month dined and met with Cambodian Australian leaders in Springvale.
On her return to Cambodia late last month, she was arrested at Phnom Penh airport and has been detained since.
“All she asked from me was to continue our work in raising awareness on workers’ rights in Cambodia. NGOs and unions have been constantly targeted by the Hun Sen regime.”
Mr Tak said that Ms Sithar had been jailed previously by the Cambodian Government, including on “trumped-up” Covid restriction breaches.
“She’s well respected for her advocacy and her determination to stand up for her union and her members.
“She has a big heart.”
Former MP Hong Lim and former Greater Dandenong mayor Youhorn Chea from the Cambodian Association of Victoria also spoke at the event.
The trio have been outspoken critics against the Hun Sen government in Cambodia, with Mr Chea receiving death threats and Mr Lim being charged by the regime for incitement in 2020.
Mr Lim was to be tried even while he lived in Melbourne but was later acquitted.
Bruce MP Julian Hill recently told Federal Parliament he had had coffee with Ms Sithar on her visit to Melbourne and was “personally shocked” by her arrest.
“When we had a chat she wasn’t plotting the overthrow of Hun Sen’s gangster regime and she wasn’t trying to bring down capitalism or end corruption in Cambodia.
“She was simply chatting about being in Melbourne and the challenges that she shares with other trade union organisers worldwide.”
Mr Hill said the worsening human rights situation in Cambodia bode ill for next year’s elections.
“When she got off the plane in Cambodia she was arrested on the pretext that she was not supposed to travel overseas, as it was a breach of her bail conditions.
“Of course, no-one had ever told her of this condition. It’s nonsense.”
