A verdict is due to be announced by the Appeal Court on March 11 concerning a complaint by 11 teachers that they were illegally fired by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport in 2018.

Rong Chhun, one of the 11 teachers, attended the hearing and told The Post that their defence lawyer Choung Chou Ngy concluded that firing the group violated the law and employment conditions for civil servants.

“The action taken against the teachers, in this case, was a serious violation of the law,” he said.

Chhun said they had decided to complain to the Appeal Court because they were not satisfied with the initial ruling.

He claimed the ministry’s decision was made without credible evidence.

According to Article 40 of the Law on Co-Statute of the Civil Servants, he said, the teachers should have gone through a disciplinary process, and be given a chance to rectify their mistakes before their services are terminated.

However, he said the ministry did not follow those guidelines or create any committee to investigate the case.

“The law states that you cannot just fire someone instantly. There has to be a process guided by law. The Ministry did not follow the law,” he said, expressing hope that the court will reinstate them.

He claimed the ministry accused him of being absent from work and accused other teachers of abandoning theirs when it was not true.

“Some of us were former members of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, but now it has been dissolved. We just want to be reinstated and have our jobs back,” he said.

Ministry spokesman Ros Soveacha and Appeal Court spokesman Touch Thavith could not be reached for comment on Tuesday while Chou Ngy who represented the 11 declined to comment.