Chhim Sithar
Chhim Sithar is a Cambodian woman human rights defender and the president of the Labor Rights Supported Union of Khmer Employees of NagaWorld (LRSU), an internal union created by staff of the large casino and hotel complex called Naga World. She was an employee of this company since 2007, and in 2009 she joined with other workers in actively demanding the rights and better working conditions for the workers. She was elected the Union Vice President in 2012 and then elected as the President of Naga World Union in 2014.
Human rights defenders (HRDs) in Cambodia have been increasingly facing repression of the rights to their freedom of expression, freedom of association and peaceful assembly. HRDs, particularly those defending environmental and labour rights, along with independent media houses journalists and members of opposition political party have been the target of authorities in the recent months, with several arrests being made since late July 2020. Defenders have been placed under prolonged detention without bail before trial and pending verdict. With a shrinking space for civil society and growing intolerance for criticism, the government has sought to silencing any dissent with arrests and have been doing so with no accountability.
