Gender
and Development Network (GADNet), made up of 62 civil society groups,
is extremely concerned about the shooting of three female factory
workers, resulting in serious injuries, during a protest on February
20that the Kaoway Sports Factory, the factory produces for the Germany’s
Puma brand,in Svay Rieng Province.
The legitimate protest was to request just ten dollars for
transportation per month and two thousand riels for lunch per day to
help them cope with the rising inflation. This is a reasonable request
and the violent act of shooting the three female protesters is
appalling. The government must respond immediately.
GADNet calls on the Royal Government of Cambodia and relevant
institutions to take immediate investigative actions into the shooting
to identify and sentence the shooters as well as delivering justice to
the parties involved by providing the comprehensive medical/financial
support to the three victims.
The Royal Government of Cambodia has the rules of law and clear
policies to promote gender equality. A failure to take immediate and
appropriate actions on the mishap will undermine the policies and mar
the valuable progress of gender equality in Cambodia. Women must have
the rights to raise their voice to protest against injustice without
being shot.
We hope the Royal Government of Cambodia will take swift actions to
serve justice for the victims and set a strong precedent that violence
against women in Cambodia is unacceptable and thereby will be punished.
