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Cambodia’s modern slavery nightmare: the human trafficking crisis overlooked by authorities
Cambodia’s modern slavery nightmare: the human trafficking crisis overlooked by authorities
Op-Ed: The Guardians
Despite promises by government to eradicate trafficking rings, people are still being sold in Cambodia and forced to run online scams
Lindsey Kennedy, Nathan Paul Southern and Huang Yan, Wed 2 Nov 2022 23.59 GMT
Sihanoukville, Cambodia, and made his way to the second floor, where his friend, another victim of trafficking, was waiting. The two had hatched a desperate plan to escape the modern slavery nightmare they’d been in since Xu was sold to an online scam company in the same building three months earlier, believing a well-paid data entry job awaited him.
They jumped from the balcony onto the first floor of the building next door, hoping to climb down to the ground and run. But Xu landed badly, injuring his spine.
“It was so painful and I couldn’t stand up. My friend ran away and left me when he saw I was injured,” he says. “The managers thought I’d die so they didn’t take me back into the building, they just stood watching and laughing at me.”
Xu crawled to a road, where a Cambodian tuk-tuk driver found him and drove him to a hospital, which then transferred him to the capital, Phnom Penh. A doctor there suggested he call Chen Baorong, the Chinese founder of a volunteer organisation dedicated to rescuing people like Xu who had been duped into travelling to Cambodia’s crime-ridden casino towns with the promise of work, only to find themselves trafficked into forced labour, scamming strangers online.
Chen came at once. But before he could help Xu find a way home to China, he was arrested.Chen’s work was said to have enraged a local governor, who was quoted by local media as saying that Chen had caused “headaches”. In a closed trial in August, Chen was sentenced to two years in jail for incitement and interference with state procedures.
Eventually, Xu found his way back to China and was reunited with his family. He is undergoing spinal surgery following the injuries he received in his escape. The compound he was sold to for $7,500, Galaxy World, has now been shut down by authorities.
“Although they might not be able to catch the big boss behind it, they were able to catch some bad people and clean up the criminal activities in the compound, so this is good news,” he says.Advertisement
Over the past 18 months casinos, dormitory blocks, luxury hotels and remote office complexes across Cambodia and the wider region – many linked to powerful political figures – have become host to criminal operations running crypto, investment, and gaming scams. People from all over the world are lured by the promise of work, then forced to defraud strangers with threats of beatings, torture, and electrocution should they not comply. Initial calls for help triggered a handful of rescues, but as time went on, Cambodian authorities began dismissing reports of trafficking and detention as labour disputes.
The World Justice Project ranks Cambodia among the worst in the world for rule of law. Analysts say that highlighting the trafficking crisis both embarrasses the government and threatens to disrupt income streams for corrupt officials. According to survivors and family members, detainees who contact authorities often disappear or face reprisals, while some who escape and go to the police are returned to their captors. Xu, who was smuggled overland from China into Vietnam and then into Cambodia through the borderland casino town of Bavet, says Cambodian police on motorbikes picked him up from the border.
“The main obstacle is that many of the Chinese that run human trafficking and scam rings in Cambodia have a lot of influence,” says Ekapop Lueangprasert, a Bangkok volunteer whose network rescues and repatriates Thai victims. “If the local Cambodian authorities hear anything about a raid from their Thai counterparts, they inform the gangs, who move the victims and confiscate their phones. Sometimes when there are raids, the rescuers find the location empty.”
The Cambodian government has acknowledged the problem, vowing to eradicate trafficking rings by the end of October. The crackdown follows mounting pressure from local media, embassies and charities. The US Treasury’s downgrade of Cambodia to “Tier 3” – the lowest rating – in its 2022 Trafficking in Persons report, put the country at risk of sanctions and reduced foreign assistance. A five-day-long raid on one business park housing illegal online gambling sites seized nearly 10,000 phones and computers, a cache of handcuffs, guns, and tasers, and led to 495 arrests.
The ones that are ringed with barbed wire fences and CCTV cameras are so clearly prisons to hold human trafficking victims
But no charges have been brought against high-level figures. Cambodian police claim several notorious sites were already abandoned or showed no evidence of crime. Meanwhile, it’s unclear whether people removed from trafficking compounds have just been moved elsewhere. On 24 October, VOD English reported that some Thai and Taiwanese victims had been transported overland to Laos and Myanmar, where large-scale scam sites are a major problem. Others may have been relocated inside Cambodia.
“The Cambodian government feels like they gain very little from these [trafficking] activities… so they will either crack down or move these gangs into more legitimate casinos where they can collect taxes and revenue from them,” says Ekapop.
While the new policy is an improvement, he says parts of Cambodia’s border are littered with compounds yet to be shut down. “You can tell by looking at the buildings. The ones that are ringed with barbed wire fences and CCTV cameras are so clearly prisons to hold human trafficking victims … I think if the Cambodian government was serious about cracking down on human trafficking it wouldn’t be too hard.”
Attempts by the authors reach out to Cambodian police and government spokespeople went unanswered.
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Recipes towards democratic unification
Recipes towards democratic unification
Seeing the election results declared by NEC triggered our assumption since the beginning that from preliminary result to final one shall not produce any differences especially for the opposition parties. There are allocating seats to parties but complaint resolution, its processes and acceptable investigated results are not transparently resolved. The results are likely a filter from NEC’s poor performance on neutrality, professionalism; from systemic threats by national and local authorities, voters list manipulations, and ballot casting-counting disenfranchisement intent etc.
Moving forward, democratic forces are actually co-existing in every spectrum of Cambodian society, and they are eager to join with a reliable and confident force.
The pragmatists: Cambodia has encountered youth-bulk force as over 65% of the total population are young tech-savvy driving-force accumulating critical thinking, principle-oriented citizens, free of PTSD and past trauma syndrome, and democratic mindset; they are not supportive to political rhetoric of “thank you peace”, “physical infrastructure without having proper soft skills development”, “personality-centric leadership”, and “regarding Cambodian political dissents as treasons, revolutionary or colouring their own race to different society classes”.
The distractors: they are both planned and unplanned distractors among democratic movements. The severe planned distractors are a divide and conquer tactic maneuvered by the ruling party chief who has used all types of resources regardless of private or national wealth to infuse chronic division among people in the society especially among the opposition parties. The unplanned distractors are those gullible people and the corrupt-mindset citizens.
The democratic alliance sympathizers: Cambodia has accumulated democratic mindset and democratic dynamics since the liberation from France protectorate and this force was solidly empowered by the United Nations in 1993. This upcoming national election 2023 is an interesting election after the dissolution of CNRP in 2017 and the continuing cracking down of political dissents. The divide and conquer tactic could be applied only to old head citizens, but with current modern tech-savvy and cross-border young populations, the worst ramifications shall be boomeranged to the tactic user.
Thank you to those unrelentless standing-up individuals towards democratic values and social injustice, those democratic patrons behind the scene, those vigilant and resilient in the front-line, and those who are jailed unjustly while their spirits are high up above jailers’ machine and perpetrators mindset.
Sophoan Seng
Letter: Candlelight Arrest Is a ‘Joke’
Letter: Candlelight Arrest Is a ‘Joke’
Nhim Sarom (Candlelight Party’s Facebook page)🔊 Listen to this
Regarding “Candlelight Commune Chief-Elect Arrested for 2002 Robbery Case,” it is a joke for the Kampong Thom Provincial Court to have handcuffed Nhim Sarom, Candlelight Party commune chief-elect of Chamna Loeu commune. The use of a court warrant dated 10 years ago is the mark of a Kangaroo Court that ignores due process and pursues a predetermined conclusion, or of double standards where rules and laws are unfairly applied in different ways to different people. Legally speaking, the court in Cambodia has been notoriously accumulating distrust among Cambodian citizens. Politically speaking, the election is just a theater as the voice of the voters has never been respected.
This arrest is another testament to the incapability of the court and law enforcement in Cambodia. With prejudice and political partisanship, opposition dissidents are victimized, and they are found to be the wrongdoers in most legal and political cases. Can you imagine a society where good people are forced to be bad, and bad people are transformed to be good?
Sophoan Seng
President, Committee for Election Right of Overseas Cambodians
អានអត្ថបទរឿង «មេឃុំភ្លើងទៀន ត្រូវបានចាប់ខ្លួនពីករណីប្លន់ឆ្នាំ ២០០២» ជារឿងកំប្លែងសម្រាប់សាលាដំបូងខេត្តកំពង់ធំ ដែលបានដាក់ខ្នោះដៃលោក ញឹម សារ៉ុម មេឃុំគណបក្សភ្លើងទៀននៃឃុំចំណារលើ។ ការប្រើប្រាស់ដីការបស់តុលាការចុះកាលបរិច្ឆេទកាលពី 10 ឆ្នាំមុន គឺជាសញ្ញាសម្គាល់របស់តុលាការសត្វកាំងហ្គារូ (Kangaroo Court)ដែលមានន័យថាមិនអើពើនឹងដំណើរការត្រឹមត្រូវ និងធ្វើការសំរេចសេចក្តីកាត់ទោសនរណាម្នាក់ទៅតាមអ្វីដែលបានកំណត់ទុកជាមុន ឬតុលាការស្តង់ដារពីរ(double standard)ដែលមានន័យថាច្បាប់ និងនីតិក្រមត្រូវបានអនុវត្តដោយអយុត្តិធម៌ក្នុងវិធីផ្សេងគ្នាចំពោះមនុស្សផ្សេងគ្នា។ និយាយតាមផ្លូវច្បាប់ តុលាការនៅកម្ពុជាបាននឹងកំពុងប្រមូលផ្ដុំការមិនទុកចិត្តពីប្រជាពលរដ្ឋកម្ពុជាយ៉ាងអសោច។ និយាយតាមបែបនយោបាយ ការបោះឆ្នោតគ្រាន់តែជាល្ខោននយោបាយប៉ុណ្ណោះព្រោះសំឡេងអ្នកបោះឆ្នោតមិនដែលត្រូវបានគេគោរពទេ។
ការចាប់ខ្លួននេះ គឺជាសក្ខីកម្មមួយទៀត បង្ហាញពីអសមត្ថភាពរបស់តុលាការ និងការអនុវត្តច្បាប់នៅកម្ពុជា។ ជាមួយនឹងការរើសអើង និងការប្រកាន់បក្សពួកផ្នែកនយោបាយ អ្នកប្រឆាំងត្រូវបានរងគ្រោះ ហើយពួកគេត្រូវបានគេរកឃើញថាជាអ្នកប្រព្រឹត្តខុសនៅក្នុងសំណុំរឿងផ្លូវច្បាប់ និងនយោបាយ ភាគច្រើន។ តើអ្នកអាចស្រមើស្រមៃ៉ឃើញសង្គមមួយនេះនឹងទៅជាយ៉ាងណានៅពេលដែលមនុស្សល្អត្រូវបានបង្ខំឱ្យហៅថាជាមនុស្សអាក្រក់ ហើយមនុស្សអាក្រក់ត្រូវបានបំលែងអោយទៅជាមនុស្សល្អ?
លោកសេង សុភ័ណ
ប្រធាន គណៈកម្មាធិការដើម្បីសិទ្ធិបោះឆ្នោតរបស់ពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរនៅក្រៅប្រទេស
Letter: A Neutral Election Body Would Accept Chao Ratanak Complaint
Letter: A Neutral Election Body Would Accept Chao Ratanak Complaint
Op-Ed: Khmer Oversea, VOD English
Chao Ratanak, Candlelight Party’s commune chief candidate in Poipet commune, stands next to her father, Chao Veasna, a former opposition councilor in the commune, outside her house on May 14, 2022. (Matt Surrusco/VOD)🔊 Listen to this
Reading the article “Election Committee Rejects Candlelight Complaint Due to Lack of Specifics” recalls to mind how for Cambodian voters back in the 1998 national election — after the coup d’etat in 1997 — the legacy of the professional election institution built by the UNTAC was demolished and a new National Election Committee rebuilt. And in 2017, when the Cambodia National Rescue Party was dissolved, the legacy of an NEC created by the spirit of “culture of dialogue” was also demolished.
The response of the local election committee in the latest case is not a surprise, as the professionalism of neutrality has not been embedded in their workmanship at all. If this local election committee was well-trained, comprehensive, professional, and fearless to perform their duty without reprisal, they would try to accommodate complaints filed by Chao Ratanak without creating any further obstruction. But their performance shows not only an incapability for professional conduct but also bias toward the ruling party without doubt.
Observing the leadership structure of the current NEC, regardless of the instalment of party activists, the bureaucratic hierarchy from the national level to provincial level and to local agents is not necessary at all, and this structure creates more avenues to favor the ruling party than to serve the interests of voters. The judicial system being used as a political tool for the ruling party also disincentivizes professional conduct for the NEC and its staff.
Since Cambodia has conducted elections according to the spirit of Paris Peace Agreements, only two elections have been regarded as credible and professional, i.e. 1993 and 2017. Hence, the political maturity of the Cambodian people and their dynamic activism have paved concrete hope for the betterment in the near future.
Sophoan Seng
President, Committee for Election Right of Overseas Cambodians
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លិខិត៖ បើស្ថាប័នរៀបចំការបោះឆ្នោតអព្យាក្រឹត គេនឹងទទួលយកពាក្យបណ្តឹង ចៅ រតនៈ
សេង សោភ័ណ្ឌ
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ការអានអត្ថបទ “គណៈកម្មាធិការរៀបចំការបោះឆ្នោតបដិសេធការតវ៉ាដោយភ្លើងទៀនដោយចោទថាខ្វះភាពច្បាស់លាស់” រំលឹកឡើងវិញពីរបៀបដែលអ្នកបោះឆ្នោតកម្ពុជាត្រលប់ទៅការបោះឆ្នោតជាតិឆ្នាំ 1998 បន្ទាប់ពីរដ្ឋប្រហារឆ្នាំ 1997 កេរដំណែលនៃស្ថាប័នបោះឆ្នោតមានវិជ្ជាជីវៈដែលបង្កើតឡើងដោយអ៊ុនតាក់គឺរុះរើចោល ហើយគណៈកម្មាធិការជាតិរៀបចំការបោះឆ្នោតថ្មីមួយទៀតត្រូវបានគេកសាងសង់ថ្មីឡើងវិញ។ ហើយនៅឆ្នាំ ២០១៧ នៅពេលដែលគណបក្សសង្គ្រោះជាតិត្រូវបានរំលាយ កេរដំណែលរបស់ គ.ជ.ប ដែលបង្កើតឡើងដោយស្មារតី “វប្បធម៌សន្ទនា” ក៏ត្រូវបានបំផ្លាញចោលផងដែរ។
ការឆ្លើយតបរបស់គណៈកម្មាធិការជាតិរៀបចំការបោះឆ្នោតមូលដ្ឋាននៅក្នុងករណីចុងក្រោយនេះមិនមែនជាការភ្ញាក់ផ្អើលនោះទេ ព្រោះវិជ្ជាជីវៈនៃអព្យាក្រឹតភាពមិនត្រូវបានបង្កប់នៅក្នុងផ្នត់គំនិតរបស់ពួកគេទាល់តែសោះ។ ប្រសិនបើគណៈកម្មការជាតិរៀបចំការបោះឆ្នោតមូលដ្ឋាននេះ មានការបណ្តុះបណ្តាលត្រឹមត្រូវ ចំណេះដឹងទូលំទូលាយ មានវិជ្ជាជីវៈ និងគ្មានការភ័យខ្លាចក្នុងការបំពេញកាតព្វកិច្ចដោយមិនមានការសងសឹកណាមួយទេនោះ ពួកគេនឹងព្យាយាមដោះស្រាយបណ្តឹងដែលប្តឹងដោយ ចៅ រតនៈ ដោយមិនមានការបង្កជាឧបសគ្គអ្វីតទៅទៀត។ ប៉ុន្តែការអនុវត្តរបស់ពួកគេមិនត្រឹមតែបង្ហាញពីភាពអសមត្ថភាពសម្រាប់ការប្រព្រឹត្តមុខវិជ្ជាជីវៈប៉ុណ្ណោះទេ ប៉ុន្តែថែមទាំងលម្អៀងទៅកាន់គណបក្សកាន់អំណាចដោយគ្មានការសង្ស័យ។
ការសង្កេតលើរចនាសម្ព័ន្ធដឹកនាំរបស់ គ.ជ.ប បច្ចុប្បន្ន ដោយមិនគិតពីការដំឡើងសកម្មជនបក្សនោះទេ ឋានានុក្រមការិយាធិបតេយ្យពីថ្នាក់ជាតិដល់ថ្នាក់ខេត្ត និងភ្នាក់ងារមូលដ្ឋានគឺមិនចាំបាច់ទាល់តែសោះ ហើយរចនាសម្ព័ន្ធនេះវារឹតតែបង្កើតនូវមធ្យោបាយជាច្រើនទៀតដើម្បីអនុគ្រោះនិងលំអៀងទៅរកគណបក្សកាន់អំណាច ជាជាងបម្រើផលប្រយោជន៍អ្នកបោះឆ្នោត។ ប្រព័ន្ធតុលាការដែលត្រូវបានគេប្រើជាឧបករណ៍នយោបាយសម្រាប់គណបក្សកាន់អំណាចក៏បានបង្អាក់បន្ទុចការប្រព្រឹត្តមុខវិជ្ជាជីវៈដល់ គ.ជ.ប និងបុគ្គលិករបស់ខ្លួន។
ចាប់តាំងពីប្រទេសកម្ពុជាបានរៀបចំការបោះឆ្នោតស្របតាមស្មារតីនៃកិច្ចព្រមព្រៀងទីក្រុងប៉ារីស មានតែការបោះឆ្នោតពីរប៉ុណ្ណោះដែលត្រូវបានចាត់ទុកថាគួរឱ្យទុកចិត្ត និងប្រកបដោយវិជ្ជាជីវៈ ពោលគឺឆ្នាំ ១៩៩៣ និងឆ្នាំ ២០១៧។ ទោះយ៉ាងណាក៏ដោយ ភាពចាស់ទុំខាងនយោបាយរបស់ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរ និងសកម្មភាពសង្គមដ៏ស្វាហាប់របស់ពួកគេ បានក្រាលគ្រឹៈប៉េតុងនូវក្តីសង្ឃឹមជាក់ស្តែងសម្រាប់ភាពល្អប្រសើរ នាពេលខាងមុខ។
សេង សោភ័ណ្ឌ
ប្រធានគណៈកម្មាធិការដើម្បីសិទ្ធិបោះឆ្នោតរបស់ពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរនៅក្រៅប្រទេស