Pailin provincial governor Ban Sreymom has invited former provincial health department official Khem Monykosal who was fired over a Facebook post concerning negligence he encountered while on duty to clarify the issue on May 18.
The invitation comes after the provincial administration established a committee to deal with the case on orders from the Ministry of Civil Service which received the complaint from Monykosal in March.
A letter sent to Monykosal and signed by the governor on May 13, said that the provincial board of governors would like to discuss with him a compromise concerning the dispute at the sub-national level.
“The inquiry will be administered by the provincial committee for dispute resolution for civil servants at the sub-national level at 8am at the Pailin Provincial Council Hall,” the letter said.
On March 19, Sreymom issued a letter of termination to Monykosal accusing him of posting inciting content and disrupting internal unity. It came after Monykosal had posted messages and pictures concerning a Pailin quarantine centre.
Monykosal told The Post on May 17 that the posts merely expressed his feelings about a problem he faced in order to seek a solution.
He said this was the first time the provincial board of governors, on behalf of the new committee, had summoned him to comment since his termination. He expected that the meeting would provide justice.
“I am ready to address the dispute. I just do not know what will happen. My expectation is that a peaceful compromise can be reached,” he said.
Yin Mengly, coordinator for rights group Adhoc for Battambang and Pailin province said it was illegal for the provincial administration to dismiss Monykosal without going through the proper administrative procedures. Besides, the decision shows that leaders do as they please.
Mengly believed that the current procedure to solve Monykosal’s case is correct, as it came after the establishment of a committee for dispute resolution ordered by the Ministry of Civil Service.
“We welcome this! We do not know which side is wrong and which side is right. But we don’t want the provincial authorities to use their authority to do whatever they want.
“We want authorities to behave in accordance with the law, not to fire a civil servant arbitrarily,” Mengly said.