Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on March 4 declared that the government will no longer tolerate illegal strikes or demonstrations led by the opposition party and its aligned trade unions.

He made the statement during the 17th Government-Private Sector Forum on March 4, in front of about 400 government officials, representatives of businesses, diplomatic corps and development partners.

The Prime Minister said the opposition Cambodia Rescue Party (CNRP) and its trade unions have incited garment workers to hold illegal strikes and demonstrations to demand higher wages unreasonably.

They are using workers as a political stepping stone in which to pollute the investment climate and destroy workers' benefits and job opportunities, he argued.

He underscored that the Cambodian government would like to reaffirm that the right to demonstrate must be held in compliance with laws. Any activities that violate the laws will be no longer tolerated, he added.

CNRP and its six aligned trade unions have launched many protests since a disputed election in last July that handed victory to Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP).

The election results showed that the CPP won 68 parliamentary seats while the CNRP took the remaining 55.

Claiming serious irregularities, the opposition refused to accept the outcome, boycotting parliament, demanding the resignation of Hun Sen and calling for a re-election.

Both requests have been refused by the PM.-VNA