A demonstration planned by rubber plantation workers in Ratanakkiri province was postponed Wednesday when local authorities refused to grant them permission.

Demonstrators claim the Tay Seng company falsified documents and thumbprints to engineer the dissolution of plantation groups, a process they planned to protest in front of the provincial governor’s house on Friday.

A representative of the company denied the allegations.

“They can accuse me, but I don’t know about any fraudulent documents,” said the representative, Ly Hong Sin. “I proposed to dissolve the groups because it exploited the workers.”

Workers allege that falsified documents made it appear as though eight representatives supported the breakup of the plantation group, which they called a “trick.”

Ratanakkiri Governor Chey Sayoeun said he would not allow a demonstration, but he did not elaborate.

“It is not in adherence to the law that the authorities rejected our proposal,” said Che Chan, a representative of the workers.