FEATURE: Cambodia denies using jailhouse labour for profit

Human rights groups say Cambodia's new prison law will encourage jail officials to set up garment factories behind bars and profit from exploiting prisoners.

But the Government insists prisoners will be banned from making goods for commercial use.

Liam Cochrane

Last Updated: Wed, 7 Dec 2011 20:17:00 +1100

The prison law was approved by the Senate this week and will pass to the King to be signed into law.

It legalises prison labour, although the Government says it will enforce a ban on prisoners making goods for commercial use.

"This program [is] just for rehabilitation only, it's not business oriented," said Government spokesperson Phay Siphan.

However, human rights groups say the old legislation - which also outlawed prison labour for commercial purposes - was routinely ignored.

"Unfortunately, prison labour is not for the vocational purposes that the prison department would have you believe," said Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watch's deputy director for Asia.

"Production for export is not a pilot training program, it's something that puts a lot of money into the pockets of the prison officials," he told Radio Australia's Asia Pacific program.

Cambodia has more than 15,000 prisoners in 26 crowded prisons across the country.

In the last week, several prison directors have told local media that with prison labour set to become legal, they also want to establish garment factories in their jails.

Major American brands

Many countries, including the US and Canada, have laws forbidding the importation of goods made by prisoners.

Cambodian Government spokesman Phay Siphan said companies shouldn't "mess around" with prison labour because it might affect their credibility.

But Radio Australia has obtained photographs taken at CC2 prison just outside Phnom Penh in late 2010, showing female prisoners stitching T-shirts with the labels Croft&Barrow and Sonoma clearly visible. These are store brands from the big US company Kohl's Department Store.

"Kohl's Vendor Terms of Engagement expressly forbid the use of... prison labor or forced labor in the manufacture or finishing of products ordered by Kohl's," said Vicki Shamion, Senior Vice President for Public and Community Relations at Kohl's Department Stores.

"We take allegations related to violation of these terms very seriously [and] upon receipt of actionable information, we investigate accordingly and take immediate and appropriate action if warranted," said Ms Shamion.

The company declined to discuss what actions it took in this case or whether it is still sourcing goods from Cambodia.

New Star shoes

The Cambodian Government has also denied media reports that a prison in Sihanoukville is making shoes for export.

The Cambodia Daily newspaper has reported that the shoes are being made for Taiwanese company New Star Shoes, quoting the prison chief as saying the shoes are exported to Japan.

But Government spokesman Phay Siphan denies this.

"They don't have any machinery to make shoes in that centre, that prison," he said.

The expansion of prison labour could hurt Cambodia's free market garment industry, one of the nation's biggest employers, said Phil Robertson.

He said foreign buyers will be wary of goods tainted by prison labour scandals.

"It's a story of certainly shooting themselves in the foot."

Listen to the whole story from Radio Australia's Asia Pacific program.