CAMBODIA: MARCH IN HONOR OF SLAIN UNION LEADER PROGRESSES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PHNOM PENH 000096 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MLS, DRL, DRL/ILCSR--MITTELHAUSER LABOR FOR LI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM ELAB CB SUBJECT: CAMBODIA: MARCH IN HONOR OF SLAIN UNION LEADER PROGRESSES SMOOTHLY REF: A. Phnom Penh 91 (Chinese Threats Scuttle Darfur Ceremony) ¶B. 07 Phnom Penh 586 (Guilty Verdict Upheld in Controversial Labor Leader Murder Trial) ¶1. (SBU) Summary: On January 22, about 100 union leaders, rights activists, workers and teachers marched in honor of the fourth anniversary of the assassination of union leader Chea Vichea. In speeches at the event, union leaders, opposition politicians, and human rights activists urged the release of the two men convicted of the crime, who are widely believed to be innocent. They also called on the King to bestow the title "national hero" on the slain union leader. After denying permission for anniversary marches in the three previous years, this year the Phnom Penh Municipality authorized the march and local police even directed traffic to facilitate it. When contrasted with this weekend's showdown over the Darfur rally, the picture of political space in Cambodia is a complex one, with some highly critical events allowed to go forward while others encounter substantial government opposition. End Summary. ¶2. (U) On January 22, 2004, FTUWKC president Chea Vichea, who pushed for better working conditions for Cambodian garment workers, including payment of a living wage, was shot dead while reading a newspaper at a roadside newsstand in Phnom Penh. The Embassy and other international organizations condemned the killing and urged the Cambodian government to bring the assassins to justice. Two men, Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun, were arrested days after the shooting, convicted, and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Both the criminal investigation and the court hearings were denounced by the international community as lacking any credibility. In April 2007, the Appeals Court upheld the guilty verdicts, ignoring pleas from the international community and revered former King Sihanouk to release the two men and find the real killers. March Proceeds Peacefully, Leaders Appeal for Release of Convicted Killers -------------- -------------- ¶3. (U) To mark the fourth anniversary of Chea Vichea's assassination, about 100 people marched from the headquarters of the Free Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWKC) to the newsstand where the union leader was killed. Marchers laid flowers at the site of the killing and made speeches, while police directed traffic to allow the march to proceed. Chea Mony, FTUWKC president and brother of Chea Vichea, urged the release of two men convicted of his brother's death, saying that they were wrongly convicted and demanding that the true perpetrators be brought to justice. Parents of the two men also appealed for their sons' release. ¶4. (U) Chea Mony also called on the King to bestow the title "national hero" on the slain union leader, citing his work in serving workers and fighting for democracy and social justice. Opposition leader Sam Rainsy also urged the King to grant the title, contrasting Vichea's genuine contributions with the illusory ones of the country's current leaders. (Note: Rainsy is referring to Prime Minister Hun Sen, National Assembly President Chea Sim, and Senate Chairman Chea Sim, who received new honorific titles from the King in October 2007. End Note.) March Authorized by City: Fourth Time's a Charm? -------------- -------------- ¶5. (U) Despite having banned three previous anniversary marches, this year the Phnom Penh Municipality not only approved the march, but assigned police officers to direct traffic around the procession. In previous years, the city had denied permission for the march, but demonstrators went ahead with the event anyway. Prior marches always proceeded peacefully, with embassy observers and human rights organizations on hand to monitor events, though in 2006 FTUWKC leaders were summoned to City Hall and chastised for their actions. Just as organizers defied previous orders from the city not to march, this year they ignored the Municipality's written admonishment not to allow speeches during the event. ¶6. (SBU) Comment: Gauging political openness and space for political freedom is increasingly tricky in Cambodia. While this weekend's confrontation with police over the Darfur rally showed the Cambodian government unwilling to allow one form of politically motivated, peaceful assembly, this march just two days later showed marked improvement in the government's handling of the anniversary over past years. The difference has little to do with the overt sensitivity of the event--after all, highlighting two men wrongly convicted of a very public crime while the real killers go free would seem to be far more sensitive than honoring the memories of genocide victims--and everything to do with outside pressures PHNOM PENH 00000096 002 OF 002 brought to bear on the government. While the RGC may buckle to pressure from China, as it did in the Darfur event, when left to its own devices it can also make the courageous choice to allow free assembly. End Comment. MUSSOMELI