FEATURE: Claims Cambodian prison labour pledge broken

Local media in Cambodia are reporting that Cambodian prisoners have continued to make clothes and shoes for private companies.

The claims come despite the government assuring international garment buyers last year that the practice would be stamped out.

Liam Cochrane

Last Updated: Mon, 12 Dec 2011 11:54:00 +1100

A 2010 letter from the Ministry of Commerce, obtained by Radio Australia, confirms that clothes were made in three prisons for an "unregistered factory/sub contractor".

"I believe that lack of understanding of the issues of prison labour was the main cause for this unfortunate episode, and am confident it will not be repeated," said Cambodia's Commerce Minister, Cham Prasidh, who signed the letter.

However, recent reports say prisons in the provinces of Sihanoukville and Battambang have been using inmates to make shoes and jeans.

Denial

The director of the Sihanoukville prison told The Cambodia Daily about the production of shoes for Taiwanese company New Star Shoes to export to Japan.

But now prison director Pech Veasna has changed his story, denying shoes were ever made by inmates.

He says the project was only a proposal and has now been cancelled.

"There weren't major materials, just sewing needles," Mr Veasna told The Cambodia Daily.

"The upper level decided on this cancellation," he said. "Now, we must wait until the prison law goes into effect for legal implementation."

Cambodia's new prison law has been approved by the National Assembly and Senate, will come into effect 30 days after the King signs it.

Rights groups have expressed concern that a new prison law legalises prison labour, and could be a "human rights and trade policy disaster".

"Clearly the Minister and his men either lack the political will or the capability to enforce his mandates, but in either case it's damning," said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

"Cambodia's donors and trade partners need to wake up and recognise that the consequence of permitting Cambodia to finalise this prison law will be a new reality that goods sourced from Cambodia will carry the reputational taint of prison labor," said Mr Robertson.

"Great concern"

It seems Cambodia's trading partners have registered their concern in the past.

While it's not clear exactly who wrote with concerns to the Cambodian Government last year, the Ministry of Commerce reply was entitled "MoC letter to buyers on Prison Labour".

The letter, dated 4 November 2010, was also sent to the International Labour Organisation and Cambodia's main garment factory association.

The document explains that Anti-Economic Crime Police and an anti-fraud arm of the Commerce Ministry investigated the claims.

"The report confirms that garments were being produced in two Cambodian prisons, the Prey Sar Correctional Center 1 and 2 and the Kandal Prison," the letter stated.

"Twenty five operating sewing machines were observed in Correctional Centre 2 [CC2] of Prey Sar Prison, and 128 knitting machines were observed in Kandal Prison."

Last week, Radio Australia obtained photographs of major US labels - The Kohl's Department Store brands Croft&Barrow and Sonoma - being produced by female prisoners in CC2.