Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Labour Ministry seeks to drop charges against activist Moeun Tola

Labour Ministry seeks to drop charges against activist Moeun Tola

Activist monk But Buntenh, labour rights campaigner Moeun Tola and independent media advocate Pa Nguon Teang have been charged with “breach of trust” over funds collected for Kem Ley’s funeral. The Ministry of Labour asked the court on Friday to drop the charges against Tola. Post Staff
Activist monk But Buntenh, labour rights campaigner Moeun Tola and independent media advocate Pa Nguon Teang have been charged with “breach of trust” over funds collected for Kem Ley’s funeral. The Ministry of Labour asked the court on Friday to drop the charges against Tola. Post Staff

Labour Ministry seeks to drop charges against activist Moeun Tola

The Ministry of Labour on Friday asked the Phnom Penh Municipal Court to drop charges against labour rights advocate Moeun Tola, who was accused by a politician of misappropriating funds raised for slain political analyst Kem Ley’s funeral.

The court charged Tola, as well as activist monk But Buntenh and independent media advocate Pa Nguon Teang, with “breach of trust” in January, despite the fact that Kem Ley’s family members said none of the three had been involved in managing funeral funds. The charges were widely decried by rights groups.

Now, the Ministry of Labour is requesting that charges be dropped against Tola, to “ensure freedom of association”. Tola, who is outside of the country, said he suspects that pressure from clothing brands may have played a role.

Multiple apparel groups representing some of the largest US and European brands, including Gap and H&M, have urged the government to drop charges against him.

Another group, US apparel giant VF Corporation – which represents the North Face, JanSport and Timberland – also expressed concern about what it said were “recent actions that seem to undermine progress toward improving worker rights” in a meeting with the ministry last month.

Naly Pilorge, of the rights group Licadho, said she was not sure why the ministry made the request, but expressed hope that charges would be dropped, “urgently and in writing”, against Tola, Buntenh and Nguon Teang.

Tola described the request as a “positive move”, but said he was still awaiting an official decision from the court.

“I still maintain that I committed nothing wrong,” Tola said. “I think there should be an official paper from the court and that [charges against] the other two should be dropped too.”

The Labour Ministry did not explain why it made the request or why it was not doing the same for the charges against Buntenh and Nguon Teang. Ministry spokesman Heng Sour did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Ley’s widow, Bou Rachana, repeated her belief Sunday that all three men are innocent.

“The complaint against these three people is not based on evidence and it can’t be trusted. The complaint is just to defame the three,” she said.

Ministry of Justice spokesman Chin Malin said the decision was up to the municipal court, which has no obligation to the Ministry of Labour.

“If they have the evidence to charge, it is their power. They don’t need to inform anyone else or any ministry,” he said.

Representatives from the court declined to comment.

Nguon Teang congratulated Tola on the news, but said he was not surprised as the case was manipulated by the government from the beginning.

For his part, Buntenh said he won’t appeal for charges to be dropped.

“They created [it] themselves and drop [it] themselves,” he said, claiming the case is politically motivated.

Buntenh said appeasing the garment industry might be a priority for the government, both because they are afraid of the sector’s capacity for protests, and to preserve beneficial trade agreements with the US and Europe.

“I’m not requesting, I’m not asking this dirty government to drop my case because they created [it],” he said.

Additional reporting by Andrew Nachemson

MOST VIEWED

  • 12th Cambodia int’l film festival to see return of Hollywood star

    Phnom Penh is set to come alive with the magic of cinema as the highly anticipated 12th Cambodia International Film Festival (CIFF) takes centre stage. Boasting an impressive line-up of 188 films from 23 countries, including captivating shorts, feature films, documentaries and animation, the festival promises an

  • Bareknuckle champion wants Kun Khmer fighter

    Dave Leduc, who is the current openweight Lethwei boxing champion in Myanmar, has announced that he will travel to Cambodia this year to challenge SEA Games gold medallist Prum Samnang any time that is convenient, after their planned match later this month in Slovakia was

  • Struggling Battambang artist dreams of staging full-scale gallery exhibition

    Leav Kimchhoth, a 55-year-old artist from Battambang province, is a familiar face to locals and tourists alike on the streets of the riverside in Phnom Penh. The one-armed painter and illustrator often hawks his work near the night market on weekends and public holidays. He

  • Fresh Covid warnings as Thai hospital fills

    A senior health official reminds the public to remain vigilant, as neighbouring countries experience an increase in Covid-19 cases, with the latest surge appearing to be a result of the Omicron XBB.1.5 sub-variant. Or Vandine, secretary of state and spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health,

  • New Law on Taxation comes into effect

    Cambodia has enacted the eagerly-awaited new Law on Taxation, which aims to improve the national tax regime’s compliance with present and future international standards and economic conditions; encourage accountability, effectiveness and transparency in the collection process; and promote investment in the Kingdom. King Norodom

  • Five-year-old Hanuman dances his way into hearts of Cambodia

    A young talent from a new-established settlement has emerged, captivating the online world with his mesmerising performances of the traditional Cambodian monkey dance. Roeun Kakada is a five-year-old prodigy who has taken the social media sphere by storm with his exceptional dance skills and dedication