On June 13, 2003 at 12:45 AM, armed forces cracked down on approximately 300 factory workers, mostly women, of Terratex Knitting and Garment International Factory LTD located at Chak Angre which resulted in the death of one worker. At 2:00 PM, 17 people were injured.

According to observations by the Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), police officers took the dead body of Mao Vuthy, also called Yim Ry, a 35 year old male, from the scene of the crime even though workers and family members requested his body to conduct funeral services. According to the eyewitnesses, the dead body was carried away by an ambulance to Monivong hospital.

Unconfirmed information stated that two policemen might have been killed and 25 others might have been wounded during the clash between police officers and the demonstrators. Human rights workers were prevented from interviewing police officers and it was observed that armed officers greatly outnumbered factory workers.

CHRAC considers that the crackdown is a violation of articles 37 and 41 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia, which guarantees people's rights to conduct peaceful demonstrations within the framework of the law and article 19 and 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees people's rights to freedom of expression and assembly.

CHRAC condemns violence and crackdown committed by the Phnom Penh police and appeals to the Cambodian government to investigate the events that took place during the demonstration.

For more information, please contact:
▪ Mr. Chun Sath, Acting Chairperson of Action Committee, tel:016 939 368
▪ Mr. Ny Chakrya, ADHOC Monitoring officer, tel: 012 920 730

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