# Rong Chhun > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Rong_Chhun > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Rong_Chhun.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rong_Chhun > Source revision: 1350972986 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|Cambodian trade unionist and political activist}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Rong Chhun | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image = Rong Chhun speaks 2020 (cropped).jpg | image_upright = | alt = | caption = Chhun in 2020 | order = | office = President of the [Cambodian Confederation of Unions (CCU)](/source/Cambodian_Confederation_of_Unions){{cite web|url=https://cchrcambodia.org/index_old.php?title=Trade-Union-Leader-Summoned-to-Appear-at-Kandal-Provincial-Court&url=media/media.php&p=alert_detail.php&alid=25&id=5|title=Trade Union Leader Summoned to Appear at Kandal Provincial Court|website=[Cambodian Center for Human Rights](/source/Cambodian_Center_for_Human_Rights)|date=2012-08-31|access-date=2021-01-25}} | status = | term_start = 6 August 2006 | term_end = 11 April 2015 | term_start1 = 20 November 2017 | office2 = President of the [Cambodian Independent Teachers' Association](/source/Cambodian_Independent_Teachers'_Association){{cite news|url=https://www.voacambodia.com/a/rong-chhun-from-street-activist-to-elections-organizer/3629991.html|title= Rong Chhun: From Street Activist to Elections Organizer|last=Kimseng|first=Men|website=[Voice of America](/source/Voice_of_America)|date=2016-12-10|access-date=2021-01-25}} | status2 = | term_start3 = March 2000 | term_end3 = 11 April 2015 | office5 = Opposition member of the [National Election Committee of Cambodia](/source/National_Election_Committee_of_Cambodia){{cite news|url=https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/nec-11202017171015.html|title=Opposition Members Quit Cambodia's Electoral Body in Protest of Party's Dissolution|website=[Radio Free Asia](/source/Radio_Free_Asia)|date=2017-11-20|access-date=2021-01-25}} | status5 = Resigned | term_start5 = 11 April 2015 | term_end5 = 20 November 2017 | birth_date = 1969 | birth_place = Talon commune, [Kandal Province](/source/Kandal_Province) | death_date = | death_place = | module = {{ Listen | embed=yes | filename = En-us-Rong Chhun from Cambodia pronunciation (Voice of America).ogg | title = Pronunciation of Rong Chhun | type = speech }} }} '''Rong Chhun''' (born 1969 in Talon, [Kandal](/source/Kandal_Province)) is a [Cambodia](/source/Cambodia)n trade unionist and political activist. He is the president of the [Cambodian Confederation of Unions](/source/Cambodian_Confederation_of_Unions) and has been imprisoned several times for his work. ==Biography== Chhun was born in Talon commune, [Kandal Province](/source/Kandal_Province), in 1969, as the fourth of five siblings. In 1993, he graduated from the [Royal University of Phnom Penh](/source/Royal_University_of_Phnom_Penh) with a bachelor's degree in mathematics. He then began teaching at a high school in Talon. He formed the [Cambodian Independent Teachers' Association (CITA)](/source/Cambodian_Independent_Teachers'_Association) in March 2000, together with more than 30 other teachers, to organise for better pay and more rights. Chhun was detained on October 15, 2005, in [Banteay Meanchey Province](/source/Banteay_Meanchey_Province). He was charged with defamation of the [Prime Minister](/source/Prime_Minister_of_Cambodia) in statements concerning a border agreement with Vietnam signed on October 12, 2005, and held without trial in [Prey Sar prison](/source/Prey_Sar_prison) until January 2006, when he was released on bail.{{cite web|url=https://www.ilo.org/asia/media-centre/news/WCMS_BK_PR_153_EN/lang--en/index.htm|title=The ILO welcomes the release Rong Chhun and human rights activists|website=[ILO](/source/ILO)|date=2006-01-20|access-date=2021-01-25}}{{cite web|url=https://www.omct.org/en/resources/urgent-interventions/cambodia-release-on-bail-of-mr-rong-chhun|title=Cambodia: Release on bail of Mr. Rong Chhun|website=OMCT Network|date=2006-01-20|access-date=2021-01-25}} In 2010, Chhun voiced concern over a planned law on trade unions, especially over unions being required to report their financial situation to the government every year and union leaders being legally responsible if strikes turned violent.{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-cambodia-unions/cambodian-draft-law-on-unions-worries-labour-leader-idUKTRE65814220100609|title=Cambodian draft law on unions worries labour leader|last=Thul|first=Prak Chan|website=[Reuters](/source/Reuters)|date=2010-06-09|access-date=2021-01-25}} In 2012, he was summoned for questioning at Kandal Provincial Court after allegations that he had incited the employees of Tai Yang garment factory to illegal protests. During the [2013–2014 Cambodian protests](/source/2013%E2%80%932014_Cambodian_protests), Chhun led the first strike of around 300,000 garment workers that protested together with members of the opposition party [Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP)](/source/Cambodia_National_Rescue_Party) in [Phnom Penh](/source/Phnom_Penh).{{cite news|url=https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/workers-12262013183522.html|title=Striking Garment Workers Join Cambodian Opposition Protests|website=Radio Free Asia|date=2013-12-26|access-date=2021-01-25}} After the violent crackdown on the protests, Chhun was summoned for questioning together with [Sam Rainsy](/source/Sam_Rainsy) and [Kem Sokha](/source/Kem_Sokha). 5,000 people protested in front of the court building in their support. On January 21, Chhun was briefly arrested together with ten other activists.{{cite web|url=https://www.licadho-cambodia.org/articles/20140209/137/index.html|title=When Freedom Meets Oppression: Timeline of Recent Events|publisher=[LICADHO](/source/Cambodian_League_for_the_Promotion_and_Defense_of_Human_Rights)|date=2014-02-09|access-date=2021-01-25}} In November, he was, together with [Yang Sophorn](/source/Yang_Sophorn) of the [Cambodian Alliance of Trade Unions](/source/Cambodian_Alliance_of_Trade_Unions), prohibited from meeting other union leaders or attending demonstrations by Phnom Penh Municipal Court.{{cite news|url=https://english.cambodiadaily.com/news/court-places-two-more-union-heads-under-supervision-71584/|title=Court Places Two More Union Heads Under Supervision|newspaper=The Cambodia Daily|author=Mech Data|date=2014-11-01}} Chhun joined the newly formed [National Election Committee of Cambodia](/source/National_Election_Committee_of_Cambodia) in 2015 as a [CNRP](/source/Cambodia_National_Rescue_Party) member under a deal to end CNRP's year-long boycott of parliament. During his time on the commission, he faced prosecution under charges of "intential violence" from 2014 which [Human Rights Watch](/source/Human_Rights_Watch) called "baseless".{{cite report|title=Cambodia. Events of 2016|url=https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2017/country-chapters/cambodia|publisher=[Human Rights Watch](/source/Human_Rights_Watch)|access-date=2021-01-25}}{{cite news|url=https://english.cambodiadaily.com/news/if-rong-chhun-goes-cpp-can-veto-any-new-nec-member-112828/|title=If Rong Chhun Goes, CPP Can Veto Any New NEC Member|last1=Naren|first1=Kuch|last2=Willemyns|first2=Alex|website=[The Cambodia Daily](/source/The_Cambodia_Daily)|date=2016-05-20|access-date=2021-01-25}} He resigned from his position after two years, protesting against the CNRP's dissolution and laws distributing its parliamentary seats to other minor parties. When he then tried to return to his post in the [Ministry of Education](/source/Ministry_of_Education%2C_Youth_and_Sport_(Cambodia)) in January 2018, he was told he had been fired for being absent without permission. Chhun said he had been under an agreement for leave without pay for his position in the NEC and called the dismissal politically motivated.{{cite news|url=https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/government-critic-fired-education-ministry|title=Government critic fired from Education Ministry|author=Yon Sineat|newspaper=The Phnom Penh Post|date=2018-02-06}} He then rejoined CITA as a consultant in the same month.{{cite news|url=https://www.khmertimeskh.com/103747/former-nec-member-goes-back-education/|title=Former NEC member goes back to education|last=David|first=Sen|newspaper=[Khmer Times](/source/Khmer_Times)|date=2018-01-23|access-date=2021-01-25}} On July 31, 2020, Chhun was again arrested for allegedly saying that Cambodia had ceded land on its border to Vietnam.{{cite news|url=https://thediplomat.com/2020/09/with-new-arrest-cambodias-permanent-crackdown-intensifies/|title= With New Arrest, Cambodia's Permanent Crackdown Intensifies|last=Strangio|first=Sebastian|newspaper=[The Diplomat](/source/The_Diplomat_(magazine))|date=2020-09-20|access-date=2012-01-25}} The arrest was condemned by Cambodian civil society groups, several global union federations and human rights organisations, and the [United Nations](/source/United_Nations).{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/cambodia-activist/cambodia-activists-urge-release-of-unionist-accused-of-inciting-unrest-idINKBN24Z17M|title=Cambodia activists urge release of unionist accused of inciting unrest|last=Thul|first=Prak Chan|website=Reuters|date=2020-08-03|access-date=2021-01-25}}{{cite news|url=https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/un-expresses-concerns-over-detention-rights-activists|title=UN expresses concerns over detention of rights activists|last=Chheng|first=Niem|newspaper=[Phnom Penh Post](/source/Phnom_Penh_Post)|date=2021-01-10|access-date=2021-01-25}} Chhun's trial began on January 15, 2021, observed by several diplomats and a representative of the [UN High Commissioner for Human Rights](/source/Office_of_the_United_Nations_High_Commissioner_for_Human_Rights).{{cite news|url=https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/trial-01152021123456.html|title=Cambodian Court Launches Trial of Prominent Union Leader Rong Chhun|website=Radio Free Asia|date=2021-01-15|access-date=2021-01-25}} On November 12, 2021, he was released from prison after the Court of Appeal suspended part of his sentence.{{Cite web|title=Activist Rong Chhun Released from Prison|url=https://cambodianess.com/article/activist-rong-chhun-released-from-prison|access-date=2021-11-12|website=Cambodianess|language=en}} On 5 May 2025, Chhun, who was by then a leading advisor to the opposition [Nation Power Party](/source/Nation_Power_Party), was convicted on charges of incitement and sentenced to four years' imprisonment.{{cite news |title=Cambodian court convicts prominent politician of incitement in latest legal move to stifle opponents |url=https://apnews.com/article/cambodia-rong-chhun-opposition-hun-manet-criticism-dissent-26dd53e0a7d67600cbe1a1fec690e545 |access-date=5 May 2025 |work=AP News |date=5 May 2025 }} ==References== {{Reflist}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Rong, Chhun}} Category:1969 births Category:People from Kandal province Category:Living people Category:Cambodian trade unionists Category:Cambodian democracy activists Category:Cambodia National Rescue Party politicians --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Rong Chhun](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rong_Chhun) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rong_Chhun?action=history)). 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