Picture of Phoung Vantha

Phoung Vantha

Phoung Vantha is a Cambodian journalist based in Phnom Penh. He is a freelance reporter who covers human rights, social issues, and environmental topics, including illegal logging and climate change solutions.
When NagaWorld dismissed 1,300 casino workers in 2021, it expected the dispute to end quickly. Five years later, hundreds of mostly female union members are still demanding reinstatement, union recognition and back pay.
Five Mother Nature activists are serving sentences up to eight years in Cambodia’s prisons. Their wives, siblings, and children were not charged, but they are paying anyway.
Hundreds of thousands of Cambodians returned home during a border conflict with Thailand. Now crushing microfinance debt and scarce jobs are forcing them back.
Border fighting between Thailand and Cambodia didn’t stay at the border. Hundreds of thousands of Cambodian workers fled amid attacks and mounting fear – even as some Thai employers stood up for them.
They’ve lost homes, jobs and safety, but Cambodia’s opposition wives refuse to lose hope. Years into an escalating authoritarian crackdown, they’re among the few still fighting back.
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