2024: Sithar Chhim
The Per Anger prize winner of 2024, Sithar Chhim, is paying a high price for her union engagement and has endured harassment and threats for years. On September 16 2024 she was released from prison, having served two years.
Sithar Chhim. Photo: Cambodian Center for Human Rights
Sithar Chhim and the struggle for justice
They can put me and other leaders in prison, but they cannot shut down our fighting spirit.
Facts about the Prize winner
Born: 1988
Education: University degree in economic informatics
Work: President of the Labour Rights Supported Union of Khmer Employees of NagaWorld (LRSU)
Nominated by: Diakonia
Sithar Chhim is the President of the Labour Rights Supported Union (LRSU) which works to secure fair pay and conditions for workers at NagaWorld, one of Cambodia’s biggest hotel and casino complexes. Most of the staff members are women from poor backgrounds; sexual harassment is part of daily life at their workplace.
Sithar Chhim has become a leading figure in the fight to get companies and the government to respect freedom of association and labour rights. Rights that are constitutionally protected in Cambodia but not upheld in practice.
During the pandemic, NagaWorld laid off more than 1,000 employees, primarily members of LRSU and union leaders. According to the union, this was done without legal justification. The members responded by initiating a peaceful strike and protests, which were later violently suppressed by the police.
In Cambodia, freedom of speech and the ability to organize are limited. Imprisonment, threats, and persecution of union activists and human rights defenders are becoming increasingly common. Sithar Chhim wants more Cambodian workers to engage in unions, be aware of, and stand up for their human rights. This has led to her becoming an important symbol and role model for young activists in Cambodia.
Sithar Chhim is constantly opposed by both the employer and local authorities. In January 2022, after years of harassment, threats, and violence, she was arrested during a strike and eventually sentenced to two years in prison for incitement.
The conditions in prison are harsh, but Sithar Chhim found ways to support her female fellow inmates, encouraging them to share their life stories. She also taught them to make flowers from scrap materials — symbols of the ongoing struggle inside and outside the prison — which the inmates can sell to raise money for necessities.
When the Per Anger Prize was awarded at the end of April 2024, Sithar Chhim was still in prison. In her place, Sovathin Mam, one of the striking casino workers, and Tharo Khun, a representative of the Union Federation Central, traveled to Stockholm to receive the award. In the film on top of the page, Tharo and Sovathin are interviewed about Sithar Chhim and their joint struggle.
On September 16, 2024, Sithar Chhim was released from prison.
The jury’s statement
"Sithar Chhim has been awarded this year’s Per Anger Prize for her tireless and dedicated work to promote democracy and respect for human rights in Cambodia.
As a union leader, in a country ruled by an autocratic regime where human rights defenders are constantly under attack, she demands that employers comply with the law and that the State uphold it. Because of this, she is now imprisoned.
She is a vital source of support for Cambodian women who are forced to work under appalling conditions. They are demanding to have their voices heard and their rights respected at their places of work.
Even though Sithar Chhim has endured harassment, threats, and violence for years, her fight for justice continues. Today she is imprisoned, but refuses to give up. Even in prison, she encourages and supports her fellow inmates.
Her enormous courage and dedication are an inspiration. As a young female leader, she is a role model for us all."
This year’s prizewinner was nominated by Diakonia.
