Kambodschas Nationalversammlung lehnt EU-Resolution zu Bekleidungspräferenzen ab

SS: Radio Free Asia reports that Cambodia’s National Assembly, dominated by the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, has strongly criticized the European Union Parliament’s Nov. 28 resolution, which called for stricter human rights measures and potential changes to Cambodia’s trade preferences under the “Everything But Arms” (EBA) scheme. The resolution condemned Cambodia’s shrinking civic space, urged the release of political prisoners, and recommended aligning labor and NGO laws with international standards, while proposing thorough supply chain human rights checks by EU companies. The Assembly dismissed the resolution as “misleading and biased,” claiming legal actions against civil society adhere to established laws and inviting EU members to witness Cambodia’s 6,000 civil society organizations and unions. Moeun Tola, executive director of CENTRAL, urged Cambodia to restore civic space, emphasising civil society’s role in citizen empowerment, while garment workers like Kem Sophen voiced fears of economic fallout if EBA benefits are further withdrawn.