Rong Chhun is President of The Cambodian Independent Teacher's Association (CITA), an organisation establishes in 2000 that works to promote solidarity between the private and public teachers all over the country irrespective of colour, race, sex, religion or political belief and to promote quality public education for all and the educational interest of students. The organisation also helps to protect the emotional, psychological and material interests of both public and private teachers. The organisation also focuses on the promotion of democracy, social justice, non-violence, honesty and equity, fostering a concept of education directed towards understanding and good will and safeguarding peace and freedom.

"If we talk about human rights this means that citizens have the right to social services, shelter, freedom, education, a decent wage and land.

Presently, the Khmer citizens are persecuted by the rich and powerful. There is a big gap between the rich and poor. Citizens do not fully get social services, shelter, freedom, education, a decent wage or access to land.

Workers are denied freedom and are intimidated by the authorities and factory owners. Phnom Penh city hall, the police and the armed forces always prevent and cruelly crack down using guns, electric sticks and shields on workers, as they protest or exercise their right to strike to demand their wages and better working conditions. For example, at the end of 2006, the Workers at the Bright Sky Factory were seriously injured and beaten by the police.

Teachers and civil servants have no right to join associations or trade unions. Chairmen of the institutions pressure and threaten them, don’t allow them to work for the trade union and drop them from their positions or refuse to increase their salary.

When teachers conducted a strike at the school in order to demand that pay match the cost of goods at the market, they were prevented and intimidated. The Phnom Penh armed forces brutally cracked down on the teachers on 1st May.

Another abuse of teachers’ rights is that they are only paid (USD$40), which leaves a large gap between their salary and the high cost of living.

The right to access education is also denied. The government does not provide citizens with full access to education such as street children, poor families, and children who live in remote areas. There are not enough school buildings or teachers in the schools. The rate of school drop out is so high because of having no money to pay for the school and 36% of the whole population is illiterate. The quality of education drops from year to year because of government inaction.

Currently, Cambodia is facing the serious issue of land abuse; the people’s land has been taken by the rich and the powerful. the people’s houses were demolished and they were sent to remote areas like animals. The government did not take any action to enable the people to return. The people who lost their land were cracked down on by the authorities, by police and troops using guns and batons.

In Cambodia, apart from human rights violations and the abuse of workers’ and citizens’ rights, the murder of trade union leaders, democratic activists, human rights activists and political party activists has continued without stop, as well as the killing of very well known people such as Mr Chea Vichea, president of the Free Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia who was gunned down on 22nd January 2004. Mr Ros Sovannareth, Free Trade Union chairman at the Trinong Gal Komara was shot to death on 7th May 2004 and Mr Hy Vuthy, Free Trade Union chairman at the Suntext Factory was murdered on 24th February 2007.

At the end of 2005 and the beginning of 2006, human rights, and freedom were nonexistent. Human rights activists, democracy and land rights activists and myself were arrested and put into Prey Sar prison without any court warrant. These people were arrested because of expressing their ideas. Meanwhile impunity still continues in Cambodia and the murderers of human rights defenders are still at large."