Cambodia

Thousands of people, including garment workers and monks, staged a rally on December 10 calling for respect for human rights and the release of a group of jailed land activists. The group of 3,000 demonstrators spoke out against Prime Minister Hun Sen, who they say has been behind numerous crackdowns on protests and has presided over one of the poorest human rights records in the country’s history. Garment workers in the demonstration also demanded higher wages and greater protections for their rights. (Daily Mail)

The Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia (GMAC) says that it will sign a new agreement on December 18 with the Better Factories Cambodia (BFC) program to combat child labor in the country. The agreement will facilitate collaboration between the two groups to better identify and address confirmed cases of child labor. Identified victims will be offered educational opportunities while still being paid their factory salary until they reach the age of 15. The country as a whole says it hopes to completely eliminate the worst forms of child labor by 2016.(Xinhua News)