On August 7, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen announced that Cambodians would have 22 public holidays next year, reduced from 28 in 2019. The decree will eliminate International Children’s Day, International Human Rights Day and Paris Peace Agreement Day, which honours the end of the Cambodian-Vietnamese War after the fall of the Khmer Rouge, as well as the National Day of Remembrance for the victims of the Khmer Rouge.

Government officials claim the decision is intended to make the country’s workforce more productive and make Cambodia an easier place to do business. Ek Tha, spokesman for Cambodia’s Council of Ministers, said: “The government wants the Kingdom to be competitive and attract national and international investments.”

But the move has drawn questions from workers’ rights groups, unions and civil society at large. Some claim the government’s choice of holidays to eliminate reflects a troubling trend, suggesting it may prioritize foreign investment over honouring the country’s national history and human rights.

“The elimination of Human Rights Day, Paris Peace Agreement Day and International Children’s Day from the public holidays seems against the commitment of the Cambodian government to uphold and respect human rights as mentioned in the constitution and ratified human rights conventions,” Sar Mory, vice-president of the Cambodian Youth Network, told ASEAN Today.

The prime minister’s announcement has proved politically divisive but also suggests the government is unwilling to commit to more obvious reforms to support sustainable development.

The EU may decide as soon as mid-August to revoke Cambodia’s preferential trade status under the Everything But Arms (EBA) agreement over concerns about political repression and human rights in the kingdom. The move could cost the country more than US$700 million per year and cause hundreds of thousands of job losses. The Cambodian government is unwilling to implement reforms that would end labour rights violations, land grabs and political persecution, even though engaging with the EU would do more to support the Cambodian economy than eliminating holidays.

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Source: ASEAN Today