Troubling news for RFA Khmer Service: illegal firing of well known reporters and employees in Phnom Penh

(All Photos: DAP news)

RFA reporters strike and burn tires in front of RFA’s office in Phnom Penh to oppose dictatorship

25 September 2009
Source: DAP news
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy for KI-Media

In the evening of 25 September 2009, a group of well known and senior reporters for Radio Free Asia (Khmer service) in Phnom Penh held a strike by burning tires to oppose the unexplained firing order issued by RFA’s Khmer service director.

The strike was held by well known RFA reporters: Phan Sophat, Huy Vannak, Mrs. Sieng Sophorn, and by Thai Sothea, another well known RFA employee who is the admin director for RFA website. The strike took place at 7PM in front of the RFA office in Phnom Penh. The tire burning-strike took place a few hours after Kem Sos, RFA’s director for Khmer Service, fired Huy Vannak and Thai Sothea.

Huy Vannak is a reporter known for his reports on the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, human rights violations, anti-corruption, land disputes and land-grabbing, human trafficking, and in particular for his interviews conducted under RFA’s program: “RFA’s listeners”. Thai Sothea is the admin director for the RFA website which is known to be well organized and containing information useful to the public.

Including the firing of Huy Vannak and Thai Sothea, the number of RFA employees firing due to [alleged] grudge and revenge has increased to 3. Mrs. Sieng Sophorn was fired earlier on Thursday also. The firing of Huy Vannak and Thai Sothea took place after the pair opposed the firing of Mrs. Sieng Sophorn, the pair considered her firing as being illegal and that it was done due to clan revenge purpose.

Chea Mony, President of the Free Trade Union of Workers in the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWKC), called these unexplained firing of RFA’s employees as being illegal. He indicated that the labor law stipulates that employees who have been employed for more than two years can be fired only if they commit mistakes, otherwise, the firing for no apparent reason is a violation of the labor law. All three RFA employees who were fired have worked for RFA for more than two years.

Chea Mony said that he will bring this case to the attention of the ministry of Labor and he will also send a letter to the US embassy, as well as the RFA administration to inform them about this issue.

Huy Vannak called this firing an action that lacks thoughtfulness, as well as illegal: “This is a wrong action, and I must protest back.” Thai Sothea said that his firing was “illegal.”

Kem Sos, director of RFA’s Khmer service, told reporters earlier that he will not comment on this issue and he asked reporters to send their questions to US officials in Washington DC instead.

After the tire burning-strike, the fired reporters handed a protest petition to the US embassy and they threatened to continue their protest as long as there is no proper legal resolution to their cases.

The RFA employees above were fired by the administration at 6:50PM on 25 September, they then burnt tire to show their protest against these firings. The protest took place in front of RFA’s office located behind the royal palace in Phnom Penh.

RFA fired two additional employees after the pair opposed the firing of RFA reporter Sieng Sophorn. Huy Vannak and Thai Sothea were called in by Kem Sos on 25 September and the latter informed them that RFA administration is conducting its internal structural reform, therefore, RFA decided to end its agreement with the pair and that no protest is allowed in this case.