PHNOM PENH – Stakeholders in Cambodia’s garment manufacturing industry are fearful that Prime Minister Hun Sen’s reluctance to comply with the European Union recommendations, addressing what it calls “systemic human rights violations” in the country, could jeopardies the sector’s prosperity.
Yesterday, the long-awaited implementation of Cambodia’s “partial suspension” from the Everything But Arms (EBA) initiative came into play, which is expected to cost the country’s garment sector around a fifth of its annual incomings.
Still, despite repeated attempts from the EU to engage Cambodia in a dialogue that would work to improve the south east Asian nation’s poor human rights track-record, authorities have stood firm, with speculation that Prime Minister Sen will look to strike a deal with China to ease the effects of reduced access within Europe.
