Police open fire on protesting Cambodian garment workers

During the second day of an ongoing nationwide strike, garment factory protests

ended violently when Cambodian military police opened fire on protesters in its capital Phnom Penh. News reports indicated that at least three people have been killed, after police were sent in to end the thousand man strong protest outside a garment factory.

Cambodian officials claim that police intervention was necessary as the garment factory protesters refused to end the demonstration and threw stones, bottles and fire bombs at police, causing them to open fire in return. Military police spokesman Kheng Tito told Reuters that only one protester was killed during the demonstration and added that police were just fulfilling their “duty, role and tasks”.

The ongoing protests are the result of the government refusal to raise the minimum wage for garment workers to 160 dollars. Over 30,000 garment workers across the country began a nationwide strike a week before the new year to demand a higher wage.

Since December 25, 2013, a number of the Garment Manufacturers Association member garment factories in Cambodia have shut down, after the GMAC informed stake holders that the industry is unable to continue operations due to increasingly violent protests for a higher minimum wage.

On Tuesday, the labor ministry suggested raising the minimum wage 25 percent to 100 dollars, 5 dollars more than its previous offer of 95 dollars and set a deadline for Thursday for garment workers to end their strike. Protesters however have ignored the government orders and continue to strike and protest for a higher wage.

Garment production is Cambodia's largest export business, worth about 5 billion dollars a year to the economy and employs an estimated 600,000 workers in 800 garment factories. According to the GMAC, garment works have carried out 131 protests from January to November 2013, up from 121 strikes carried out in 2012.