On 1st September 2015, ADHOC assisted in the repatriation of four trafficking victims back to Cambodia. The four used an unlicensed broker to cross the Cambodia-Thai border at Poipet, after which they were moved directly to Malaysia. In Malaysia, the four were put to work on a farm in LamKatt region. Part of their daily work included handling toxic pesticides for which they received insufficient training.
As the four did not receive the required work permits, their brokers held significant power over them. The four did not have access to their own salary, which was collected by their brokers. The victims were each left with 25 – 30 USD for food per month. As the victims worked in poor conditions with dangerous pesticides, some needed medical attention and medicine for which they did not have the funds.
After ADHOC received complaints from the victims’ families, ADHOC intervened to the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Thanks to close cooperation between ADHOC and the Malaysian human rights organization TENAGANITA, the four victims returned back to Cambodia by Air-Asia yesterday.
The four victims, M.K.K, H.Th, Chh. Ch.chhan, and N.M, are from Liv village, Krova commune, Baray district, Kompong Thom Province. Their broker’s name is Rath, 38 years old. He’s from Por Preng village, Speu commune, Chamka lue district, Kompong Cham province.
ADHOC aims to sensitize Cambodians to the dangers of illegal migration and helps them repatriate after they have been illegally trafficked. Although migration can provide rich opportunities for both sending and receiving communities, illegal migrants are easy targets for human trafficking by dishonest brokers. Often, trafficking victims end up in very exploitative situations, loosing contact with friends and family and not receiving pay, which further exacerbates the victims’ economic situation.
