Interior Minister Sar Kheng met on Wednesday with relevant police and government officials in an attempt to resolve the ongoing NagaWorld labor dispute.

Khieu Sopheak, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, confirmed the meeting but refused to comment, saying he did not attend the session.

According to a letter dated March 4, the meeting is being held with participation from parties including the ministries of labor, justice, health, as well as the Phnom Penh governor, National Police commissioner and Phnom Penh Municipal Court officials.

The meeting also came after the municipal administration warned of legal action against strikers who continue to demand the release of union leaders from prison.

Khun Tharo, program manager of the labor rights organization Central, said the dispute is ongoing due to the authorities’ lack of intent to solve it.  He said the Labor Ministry has a role in reconciliation, and should take a stand to protect the interests of employees and seek a middle ground based on law.

“State authorities have used all forms of pressure to suppress one side, and in cases of labor disputes, criminal proceedings and pressure must not be applied to the victims,” Tharo said.

He said the engagement by Sar Kheng could be a positive sign for resolving the dispute.

“In this case, only powerful people would facilitate,” he said. “I hope that the minister of Interior, who is the second-most powerful person in the government, may have some influence to address the labor dispute.”

According to Tharo, more than 100 of roughly 365 holdouts of last year’s mass layoff had agreed to accept NagaWorld’s compensation. The rest of the strikers, who have been protesting since December, may continue their action until their union leaders are released from prison.

A statement issued yesterday by Michelle Bachelet, the UN high commissioner for human rights, said Cambodian authorities have recently used violence against the peaceful casino protesters by citing COVID-19 health measures to force them onto buses and away from the strike.

“I am troubled by the authorities’ use of COVID-19 restrictions to further erode democratic and civic space, including as a pretext to break a lawful strike by casino workers,” Bachelet said. “I call on the authorities to respect the right to peaceful assembly and engage in dialogue to address the strikers’ legitimate requests.”

The statement continued that protecting fundamental freedoms will be important as the country approaches local elections – a contest in which the country’s largest opposition party is excluded while many of its leaders and supporters are exiled, detained or facing prosecution.

Justice Ministry spokesman Chin Malin, who is also the vice president of the Cambodian Human Rights Committee, said the kingdom can effectively control COVID-19 better than other countries because of its laws. He said health measures are not human rights restrictions.

“In Cambodia, peaceful gathering must be based on law, respecting the authorities’ measures to keep public order,” he said. “Freedom of expression has been ensured and most people can express their rights freely via social media. A handful of people are using their rights to abuse the law, so they have to face legal action, and this is not a right to expression.”

NagaWorld, Phnom Penh’s only casino, laid off more than 1,300 employees last year, explaining the cut by pointing to the effects of COVID-19 on the company’s business.

Hundreds of employees have been peacefully striking since December, demanding the company follow labor regulations and allow them to return to work. Over the course of the strike, police have detained 11 workers and union leaders on charges of incitement and violating Health Ministry measures.

Yesterday, on International Women’s Day, a group of 180 NagaWorld workers were again forced onto buses by Phnom Penh authorities and sent to the same quarantine center used in the preceding weeks.

The U.S. State Department yesterday expressed serious concerns about the use of criminal charges against those peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of association and assembly.

“We urge Cambodian authorities to release all detained unionists, drop the charges against them, and move to constructively resolve their dispute,” the statement read.