A Kampong Cham Provincial Court summons over a protest shocked a former local union president and his wife yesterday, since the event in question occurred more than a year ago and the union leader’s wife had no involvement in it.

“I got the summons letter this morning, but I am so surprised by it, because it is not only for me but also for my wife, who did not know anything [about the protest],” said Chorn Theang, 30, former president of the Cambodian Alliance Trade Unions at Manhattan Textile and Garment Corp. “My wife … is a housewife, so why did she also got summoned?”

Dated January 16, the letter calls Theang and wife, Nath Sokleang, 33, to the provincial court to be questioned for alleged incitement at a protest near the end of 2013. Chiv Chandara, a representative of the provincial prosecutor, says in the letter obtained by the Post that the two will also be questioned for “making an obstacle for traffic”.

The demonstration occurred during a 10-day nationwide garment worker strike. Theang said the factory could be using the court to intimidate him. Neither the prosecutor, Chandara, or the factory could be reached.