8/13/2019 Cambodia Families Face Agonising Wait After Court Detains Protesters

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Cambodia: Families face agonising wait aftercourt detains protestersBy Robert Baird-By Asian Correspondent Feb 12, 2014

Poang Sarath was asleep at his home on January 3 when a standoff

 between striing garment worers and security at a nearby industrial par in Phnom

Penh!s west turned ugly"

 #ccording to a statement obtained by the rights group $%C#&'() the *+-year-old had

 been resting at his home in ,ohaleap illage after woring a night shift as a pri.ate

security guard"'is wife says se.eral garment worers entered Sarath!s room seeing shelter from the

 .iolence"

Security forces followed them to his house and demanded Sarath open the door" /hen

he refused) they fired li.e rounds into the wall) iced down the door and arrested him)

she said"

'e was se.erely beaten during the arrest) and when his family .isited him more than a

 wee later he was bleeding from his lip) with pain and bruising all o.er his body"

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Poang Sarath. Pic: LICADHO.

%n two separate cracdowns on January * and 3) *3 garment worers) unionists and

 bystanders lie Sarath were arrested and transported to the notorious CC3 prison

north of Phnom Penh" 0hey were held incommunicado) and reportedly without

ade1uate medical care) for almost a wee) and most of them remain incarcerated at

 what is regarded as one of Cambodia!s harshest prisons"

(n Saturday) the Phnom Penh ,unicipal court held an unannounced bail hearing and

released two of the detainees 2 Bou Sarith and on So Chea 2 on bail"

But hopes that as many as 45 of the men would also be released on 0uesday were

dashed when the presiding 6udge at Phnom Penh!s #ppeals Court denied bail) saying

their release would 7disturb public order"8

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0he *3 men ha.e been charged with intentional .iolence and intentional damage) both

 with aggra.ating circumstances"

9,(R: Cambodia: Rainsy returns as court eeps protesters in 6ail;

0he men still detained at CC3 could remain there for up to + months before trial) and if

con.icted all *3 men face up to < years! imprisonment and fines"

 /hile they ha.e since recei.ed some medical treatment) rights groups remain

concerned about the health of the detainees" Si=teen of the men began a hunger strie

on Sunday) and many sustained in6uries during their arrest) with reports of bruising)

se.ere swelling and cuts to the head) arms and legs"

 #t least three of the men were reportedly beaten unconscious> one of whom 2 union

leader orn Pao 2 is still reco.ering from a ma6or operation late last year"

Pao has warned his wife he is unliely to sur.i.e in prison"“?0he police@ caught him and he was beaten unconscious A ?they@ poured water on his

face to mae him conscious to continue to beat him)8 she said"

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orn Pao: Pic: LICADHO.

'is wife told $%C#&'( she belie.es police targeted him because of his role as a protest

leader" #s the President of the %ndependent &emocracy of %nformal conomy

 #ssociation 9%&#;) Pao had been instrumental in drumming up support for the

demonstrations"

Factory owners ha.e accused protestors of damaging property after they set

up burning barricades outside one factory and were alleged to ha.e thrown rocs and

moloto. coctails at security"

,any of those arrested are husbands and brothers of garment worers themsel.es) as

the industry employs D women"

'owe.er) Sarath!s wife says neither she) a tailor) nor her husband were in.ol.ed in the

demonstrations) part of a two-wee long strie o.er a wage dispute" She says he cries

 when he thins about his newborn son) and she wants to see him released soon"

“'e did not 6oin the demonstration) he is 6ust a pri.ate security guard ?but@ he was

 beaten and put in prison)8 she said"

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