Factory Kitchen Falls, Cambodian Workers Injured

Factory management said there was not a serious problem but that a rumor of an electrical malfunction was enough to scare workers.

Police said late Monday they are trying to rescue the trapped miners, near Romtum village, Rovieng district, but the shaft is very deep and old, making rescue efforts difficult.

The Cambodia National Rescue Party on Monday said it would not recognize the results of the general elections in July if the National Election Committee is not reformed. About 2,000 supporters of the party gathered in a demonstration on Monday calling for reforms recommended by the UN, international NGOs and others. (Kong Sothanarith, Phnom Penh)

Nine survivors of a shoe factory collapse in Kampong Speu province remained hospitalized Friday. In interviews with VOA Khmer, several of them recounted the event, when a storage mezzanine loaded with manufacturing equipment fell. Survivors considered themselves lucky to be alive, after they were nearly crushed by chunks of concrete and equipment at the Wing Stars factory. The victims rushed to Calmette Thursday were the lucky ones, they said. Rim Saroeun was not among them. He perished in the collapse. At his home in Bati district, Takeo province, family members mourned on Friday, weeping over his coffin, where his photograph hung, as they prepared for his funeral. He was married, with a one-month-old son. VOA Khmer's Say Mony reports from Takeo province.

At least two workers died and 11 others were injured Thursday morning when a section of a shoe factory collapsed where they were working in Kampong Speu province, authorities said. Officials have so far blamed the collapse on shoddy construction of a storage mezzanine at the Wing Star Shoes factory, 50 kilometers south of Phnom Penh. VOA Khmer's Kong Sothanarith reports from the scene in Kompong Speu province.

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy says that while his party supports foreign investment in the country, Cambodia must ensure it is not “destroyed in the process.” In an interview with VOA Khmer’s Poch Reasey in Washington, Sam Rainsy said that national interests must be protected and that “you don’t rob our villagers’ lands and properties.” His warnings come amid a report this week that Vietnamese rubber plantations are behind many of the economic developments that have forced rural villagers from their land.

Palace officials accepted a letter for King Norodom Sihamoni, asking him to intervene in Yorm Bopha’s case.

Representatives from both companies denied the report’s findings, Global Witness said.

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy joined a panel of experts in Washington on Wednesday to discuss further promotion of democracy in Cambodia. The talk, joined by about 100 participants at the Wilson Center, a think tank in the capital, was aimed at finding ways to create free and fair elections in Cambodia in national polls July 28. Sam Rainsy told the group that democracy in Cambodia has been "derailed," and the international community must help put it back on track. (Sok Khemara, Washington)

Chan Soveth told VOA Khmer by phone he did not commit incitement or put out harmful disinformation.

Thousands of garment workers gathered in a demonstration in Phnom Penh on Wednesday, to demand better salaries and improved working conditions for the hundreds of thousands of workers in Cambodia’s factories. Workers say a government increase of the minimum wage, to $80 per month, is not enough to keep up with the rising cost of living in the country. The demonstration took place in front of the National Assembly, where representatives of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party and royalist Funcinpec addressed the workers. The demonstration was the first since political parties began ramping up for the July 27 national elections. (Suy Heimkhemra, Phnom Penh)

Thousands of garment factory workers, activists and union leaders marched in the streets of Phnom Penh on May Day, demanding former Bavet city governor Chhouk Bandith be arrested for allegedly shooting into a crowd of workers last year, injuring three women. Workers say the courts dropped the case against Chhouk Bandith because of his political power. VOA Khmer's Say Mony reports from Phnom Penh.

The group ranked Cambodia 149 of 196 countries in terms of press freedoms, putting it in the company of Burma, Cuba, China and North Korea, among others.

Adhoc counts as many as 48 cases of rights workers being threatened or otherwise intimidated, especially those monitoring the environment and natural resources.

In the complaint, Prom Ngoun accuses Chan Soveth of defamation and incitement, both criminal offenses that carry potential jail sentences.

Cambodians who go to the polls for July’s parliamentary elections will face two major choices, the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, and the new opposition, the Cambodia National Rescue Party. The new opposition party represents a combination of two former party leaders, Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha, both of whom were in Long Beach recently. And as VOA Khmer’s Cheang Sophinarath reports, organizers there say some challenges remain.

On a road in Koh Kong province on Friday, Buddhist clergy and family members honored the environmentalist one year after his slaying. Chut Viuhy was shot dead at this remote location at a police check point during an NGO review of a forest area. VOA Khmer's Say Mony reports from Koh Kong province.

The State Department pointed out the courts’ “ineffectiveness” in settling land cases, which led to disputes in every province.

More than 1,000 opposition activists staged a demonstration in Phnom Penh on Wednesday, demanding reforms to the National Election Committee ahead of July’s parliamentary polls. Opposition leaders from the Cambodia National Rescue Party said some supporters from the provinces were barred from entering the capital to join the demonstration.  About 100 armored police outfitted with electric batons and riot shields kept the demonstration within the confines of Freedom Park. No clashes with police or injuries were reported.  Demonstrators wore white ribbons around their heads and called for “change” at the NEC. (Heng Reaksmey, Phnom Penh)