APPEAL FROM CAMBODIA:

On April 12th the Cambodian Court of Appeal upheld the convictions of Born Samnang and Sok Samoeun in the 2004 murder of Chea Vichea, the leader of the Free Trade Union of the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWEC). The union itself, however, sees it otherwise and believes that the real killer or killers are still free while the two accused have been framed. The union has appealed to the International Labour Organization to establish an international committee to investigate and bring to justice the real killers as well as those who murdered Ros Sovannareth and Hy Vuthy, other FTUWEC leaders. A report from the Asian Human Rights Commission makes it plain that the appeals procedure was flawed and irregular. The UN's special representative for human rights in Cambodia, Yash Ghai, expressed "deep regret" over the court's decision and reiterated earlier calls for a complete and impartial inquiry into Chea Vichea's death. This is his complete statement.

The Clean Clothes Campaign has launched an online petition to both the Cambodian government and foreign embassies in Cambodia asking for a just resolution to this case. To add your name to this campaign go to http://www.cleanclothes.org/urgent/07-02-08.htm#action