Chhim Sithar, a union leader recently freed from prison, is determined to push forward with a labor strike against Cambodia’s largest casino, NagaWorld, until workers’ demands for justice are met.
In May 2023, Sithar was handed a two-year sentence for incitement to commit a felony, with time already served counting towards her imprisonment. The charges stemmed from her role in leading a strike at NagaWorld, which has now become the longest-running labor dispute in the nation’s history.
The strike started back in December 2021, rallying hundreds of workers to protest mass layoffs and alleged union-busting by the Phnom Penh casino. Sithar was arrested in January 2022 during a demonstration by dismissed employees seeking reinstatement. The casino had let go of 373 employees in late 2021, citing the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shortly after her release, Sithar spoke to reporters from her home, surrounded by family. “We are committed to advocating for union rights at NagaWorld, and we will continue the strike until there is a resolution. This has always been our position,” she declared.
Reflecting on nearly three years of struggle, she added, “Sadly, our workers have yet to see justice. Our fight will continue for as long as that injustice remains.”
In a later press conference at a union hall, the 36-year-old described harsh conditions during her time in prison, including overcrowding and limited access to basic necessities.
“Prison is not a place anyone wants to be, and of course, there was fear,” she admitted. “But when I compare that fear to the possibility of losing our right to unionize, the loss of union rights is far scarier.”
After her arrest, some of the dismissed workers kept protesting, calling for her release and the reinstatement of their jobs. However, by December 2022, over 200 workers had accepted compensation under Cambodian labor laws and ceased their demands, as per the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training.
Despite these developments, the strike remains ongoing. The Cambodian human rights group LICADHO noted that, “Despite continuous efforts by authorities to quash the strike — including sexual harassment, physical assaults, and judicial harassment — the LRSU strike continues in Phnom Penh.”
NagaWorld, owned by a company tied to the family of the late Malaysian billionaire Dr. Chen Lip Keong, has been a major presence in the capital since its establishment in 1994, with a vast hotel-casino complex.
Sithar also expressed her gratitude to the international community for their solidarity, urging unions and supporters to keep the issue alive on global platforms like the UN’s International Labor Organization. “We still haven’t received justice, so please continue supporting us,” she appealed. “We hope that both the government and the company will come to recognize union and workers’ rights.”
Unlike previous labor actions in Cambodia, which typically involved factories in rural or industrial zones, the NagaWorld strike in the capital drew significant attention, sometimes resulting in violent clashes with police.
Sithar’s leadership has garnered international recognition. Last year, the US State Department named her as one of the ten recipients of its annual Human Rights Defender Award. The then-US Ambassador to Cambodia, W. Patrick Murphy, described her as “a courageous and tenacious labor union leader who peacefully advocates for the rights of Cambodian workers.”
Despite the change in leadership last year, when Prime Minister Hun Manet succeeded his father after a four-decade rule, Cambodia’s government still faces criticism for its use of the judicial system to suppress dissent.
