I am writing this blog to highlight the case of three teachers (Mr. Uy Meak, Mr. Uy Mean, Mr. Ong Chen) by Ministry for Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS). I kindly ask that you forward the information below to all your firends and request that they either send a letter of solidarity or sign the petition in support of three teachers involved in this case:
Details
On Wednesday the 6th of April, three teachers at the Kroul Kol High School, in Chrom District of Svay Rieng Province, received letters (dated 30th March) from H.E. Mr. Im Sethy Minister of MoEYS, informing them that they had been transferred to schools over 50km from Kroul Kol High School, there was no explanation for this decision contained in the letter. This did, however, happen after the teachers involved had made four separate complaints about corruption involving the schools director and deputy director over the past 12 months.
The three teachers logged their first report of corruption in March 2010 and again in June and October of 2010 and finally in February 2011. The details of the corruption involved, the School Deputy Director faking letters and defrauding the school of some 50 million Riels between 2007 and 2010 and the School Director, faking letters and defrauding the school of some 10 million Riels in the same period.
After the teachers logged their third complaint in October 2010, the Director and Deputy Director were ordered to repay the money to the Ministry but were allowed to remain in their position. After the teachers submitted their fourth and final complaint to the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) on 14th of February the Director and Deputy Directors of Kroul Kol High School were relocated because the allegations were proven to correct. Those involved in making the complaints have now received letter direct from H.E Mr. Im Sethy ordering them to be re-located to schools over 50km away without any explanation or right to appeal.
CITA believes that these three teachers in Kroul Kol High School have demonstrated outstanding bravery and commitment to education in Cambodia. On four separate occasions they complained about corruption in their school and now that their allegation has been proven they are been punished by the Ministry through a unilateral decision relocate them to schools more than 50km away.
CITA has already sent an official letter to the Ministry about the handling of this case and has requested that Minister revise his decision to issue the relocation order. We are also preparing a full campaign to protect the rights of these teachers.
Mr. Ouy Meak one of the three teachers said ‘We feel regret that the ministry have made this decision unfairly to transfer us to school so far away. We have a great concern about how we will manage with this great distance. We have tried to do the right thing and report the corruption and we do not understand why we should now be forced to re-locate to others schools. This is causing a great deal of stress for us and our family and we hope that ministry will reverse the decision and allow us to stay with our families and continuing working in Kroul Kol’
I hope that you can support these teachers through signing the petition http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/teachers-kroulkolhighschool/.
