Statement from the International Labour Office on the release of men convicted for murder of Cambodian trade unionist

The International Labour Office welcomes the decision by the Supreme Court of Cambodia to release Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun on bail. The two men were convicted of the 2004 murder of the trade union leader Chea Vichea.

Press release | 02 January 2009

Friday, 02 January 2009

Bangkok (ILO News): The International Labour Office welcomes the decision by the Supreme Court of Cambodia, on 31 December 20089, to release Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun on bail. Their provisional release is an important step towards ensuring the safety of trade union leaders and upholding the right of freedom of association in Cambodia.

The two men were convicted of the murder of trade union leader Chea Vichea, who was shot around 9.30am on 22 January 2004, in front of a newsstand in Phnom Penh. Chea Vichea was the founder and president of the Free Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWKC).

The murder of Chea Vichea, as well as those of two other prominent trade union leaders, Ros Sovannareth and Hy Vuthy, has been deplored by the International Labour Conference and the ILO Governing Body’s Committee on Freedom of Association. They have repeated called for Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun to be released from prison, for the crimes to be investigated in accordance with international standards of due process, and for the prosecution f the true perpetrators.

The ILO hopes that the re-trial of Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun by Cambodia’s Appeal Court will present an opportunity for the investigating authorities to meet the serious concerns expressed and to collect and present the evidence that will bring those really responsible for these murders to justice.

The ILO has on several occasions discussed these matters with the Cambodian government, most recently through a Direct Contacts Mission in April 2008. The ILO encourages the government to continue in the direction set by the Supreme Court by revitalizing the investigations into the murders of Ros Sovannareth and Hy Vuthy, in May 2004 and February 2007 respectively. In the case of Ros Sovannareth, Thach Saveth is currently serving a sentence of 15 years in prison for the crime.

For more information please contact:

Sophy Fisher
Regional Information Officer
ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok
fisher@ilo.org

Tel: +662 288 2482.

ILO Department of Communication (Geneva)

+4122 799 7912

communication@ilo.org.