Cambodia’s Supreme Court has upheld the two-year prison sentence of labor union leader Chhim Sithar, who led a strike against NagaWorld casino. Sithar was convicted in May 2023 of incitement to commit a felony related to the strike. The strike began in December 2021 due to layoffs and alleged union-busting at NagaWorld. Sithar, president of the Labor Rights Supported Union of Khmer Employees of NagaWorld, was leading a protest against mass layoffs and alleged union-busting at the casino in Phnom Penh. She was arrested and charged after a January 2022 demonstration of dismissed employees demanding to be rehired.
NagaWorld had fired 373 employees in late 2021 due to financial struggles related to the coronavirus pandemic. Some dismissed workers continue to hold regular protests, calling for Sithar’s release and for their jobs to be reinstated. More than 200 others accepted compensation and dropped their demands. The Supreme Court also upheld the convictions and sentences of eight of Sithar’s fellow union members, with five receiving 1 1/2-year sentences and three others receiving suspended one-year sentences. Sithar may be released later this year once her prison term ends due to time already served before her conviction.
Supporters of Sithar gathered outside the Supreme Court with banners calling for her release on appeal. NagaWorld, owned by a company controlled by the family of Malaysian billionaire Chen Lip Keong, received its casino license in 1994 and is now a large integrated hotel-casino entertainment complex. Labor union actions in Cambodia typically occurred in factories outside the capital, so the protests at NagaWorld drew attention. In 2022, the U.S. Department of State recognized Sithar with its Human Rights Defender Award for her advocacy for Cambodian workers’ rights.
The protest at NagaWorld was high-profile and drew police action, sometimes violent, due to its location in the capital. Sithar’s conviction was upheld despite international recognition for her work as a labor union leader. Some dismissed workers at NagaWorld continue to appeal for her release and the reinstatement of their jobs. Sithar and her fellow union members face imprisonment or suspended sentences for their involvement in the strike. The Supreme Court’s decision has sparked debate about workers’ rights and the treatment of labor union leaders in Cambodia.
The strike at NagaWorld highlighted issues of mass layoffs and union-busting at the casino, resulting in the arrests and convictions of several labor union leaders. Sithar’s imprisonment has raised concerns about the suppression of workers’ rights in Cambodia and the treatment of labor activists. Despite international recognition for her work, Sithar’s conviction and sentencing have been upheld, reinforcing the challenges faced by labor unions in advocating for workers’ rights in the country. The case has led to protests and calls for justice among supporters of Sithar and the dismissed NagaWorld workers, who continue to seek redress for their grievances.
