Cambodia: 5 arrested after hand grenade found outside NagaWorld casino

Striking workers have been protesting for more than a year.

Cambodia.- Police in Cambodia have arrested five people after a hand grenade was found outside NagaWorld casino. According to media reports, a security zone was set up after a street cleaner moved the grenade. The grenade was detonated about two hours later and no one was hurt in the explosion.

It’s been reported that CCTV shows the occupants of a Range Rover planting the device. Authorities said the case was probably related to gambling rather than terrorism.

General Chhay Kim Khoeun, deputy chief of the national police, told Fresh News that those arrested, comprising Chinese and Cambodian citizens aged between 23 and 36, have been sent to the Criminal Police Department of the Ministry of Interior.

NagaWorld employees have been demonstrating outside the casino since December 18 2021 in protest against NagaCorp’s layoffs and pay cuts. In November, the US Department of State issued a press statement saying it was deeply concerned by the arrest of Chhim Sithar. The president of a labour union involved in a year-long dispute with NagaWorld was arrested after returning from a 12-day trade union conference in Australia.

According to Cambodian authorities, as of November 26, 249 of the 373 employees have accepted seniority payments to put an end to their employment contracts with the company. However, 124 employees still refuse to accept the payments.