Two Svay Rieng union officers charged with incitement after striking workers blocked National Road 1 in August denied responsibility for the incident yesterday.

Collective Union of Movement of Workers (CUMW) officials Cham Samnang, 28, and Chea Oudom, 23, were charged after police filed a complaint accusing them of leading protesting workers at Juli garment factory to block the road on August 18.

“The workers from Juli factory decided to block National Road 1 by themselves; I went down to . . . move them out of the road,” Samnang said after being questioned in provincial court.

Neither of the defendants were detained, but both are barred from participating in protests while the case is being investigated, Samnang said.

Svay Rieng provincial investigative judge Heng Phalla declined to comment on the decision.

CUMW president Pav Sina yesterday accused authorities of trying to destroy his union by using the court to silence union officers and supporters.