UNIFEM: Poverty Is Making Cambodia Become a Base for Human Trafficking

UNIFEM: Poverty Is Making Cambodia Become a Base for Human Trafficking

The Mirror, Vol. 13, No. 643

“The International Migrants Day was marked with a promotional meeting on the Legal Protection for Household Servants, organized at the Himawari Hotel by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and by the Ministry of Labor in the evening of 16 December 2009.

“A press conference focused on migration and human trafficking that are happening because of many factors, leading to trafficking when people migrate. The vulnerability of groups of people who migrate to seek ways necessary for their [economic] survival, and of those who are trafficked, is much alike. But there are significant differences

between migration and trafficking. Many people fail to clearly distinguish between migration and trafficking. Police or immigration officials often do not have the operational criteria to make the proper judgments to distinguish between victims of trafficking and migrants. As a result, those who are victims of trafficking as a result of different crimes are mistaken for migrants, and the latter are arrested and repatriated.

“According to a report of UNIFEM and of the Ministry of Labor during the 3rd meeting of a working group of relevant ministries about migration on 9 December 2008, some open questions among many problems need urgent action. They require some more clarification about the reasons leading to human trafficking, among those who fight against human trafficking in Cambodia.

“Cambodia is a country that sends and receives migrating workers. 89,000 workers migrated to Thailand and 11,000 to Malaysia. These are the major destinations of Cambodian workers, and Cambodia also receives a large number of migrant workers: 10,000 from Vietnam and 55,000 from China, among other countries in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region.

“Cambodia is also used by criminals as a transit point for human trafficking to other countries, especially to the West.

“Even though there is no proof, networks of human trafficking in Asia are extending widely, relating from minor crimes to big organized crime networks. There is no clear estimation agreed upon globally to rightly reflect the number of people who are trafficked in Cambodia. It is difficult to have statistics because of the sensitivity and illegality of the trafficking business, and deficiencies relating to clear definitions of the word ‘trafficking.’

“According to the US Department of State, about 220,000 children and women were trafficked in Southeast Asia. ILO and the International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor [IPEC] estimated that 80,000 children and women were trafficked to Thailand for sexual exploitation since 1990. The highest number relates to people from Burma, followed by those from the Province of Yunan in China, and from Laos. There are 500 to 1,000 Cambodian children being used as beggars in Thailand.

“According to figures from the Department of Labor, by 30 November 2009, 22,222 workers – 19,586 women and 2,636 men – migrated to Malaysia to work as household servants, and 14,308 workers – 4,717 men and 9,591 women – migrated to Thailand. This shows that most migrants are Cambodian women.

“Migration is a problem that can lead to human trafficking: the trafficking of women for sexual exploitation is a type of organized crime that is increasing, because traffickers can earn high returns and have low hazards. Thousands of women are being trafficked from Asia.

“It should be remembered that Khmer citizens from various provinces and cities in Cambodia, who are unemployed, migrate to neighboring countries or to some other countries, to seek income to support their families’ livelihood. Unemployment in Cambodia is a factor urging them to decide to migrate and to leave their homes to seek paid employment elsewhere.” Sereypheap Thmey, Vol.17, #1835, 17.12.2009

Note:

PRESS RELEASE:

In order to continue the celebration of International Migrant’s Day (IMD) 18 December CARAM Cambodia initiated its celebration since 2006 participated by more than one thousand people with rally and parade and it is a fourth anniversary of International Migrant’ s Day celebration for this year (2009) in Cambodia and 19th anniversary of IMD celebration around the world and it is an opportunity:

* to recognize the contributions made by millions of migrants to the development and well-being of so many countries in the world;
* to demand an end to all forms of abuse and violence against migrants and their families and promote respect for their basic human rights;
* to call on governments around the world to ratify the UN Convention on Migrant Workers;
* to hold governments accountable with regards to the rights of migrants

A leading NGO-CARAM Cambodia will continue the celebration of International Migrant Day (IMD) 18 December 2009 in Cambodia with the following activities and objectives:

I. Radio Talk Show

* Radio FM 106.5 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (18 December 2009);
* Radio FM 102.5 from 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (18 December 2009);
* Radio FM 93.75 from 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (18 December 2009);
* Radio Free Asia from 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. (18 December 2009);
* Radio FM 101.25 from 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (16 December 2009)

II. Press Conference: Was on 16 December 2009

III. Message Delivery through Mobile Phone on IMD Celebration 18 December 2009

CARAM Cambodia will send a message entitled “International Migrant’s Day (IMD)” celebration to many people as we can to celebrate International Migrant Day 18 December 2009.

IV. Objective of International Migrant’s Day (IMD) 2009

The following is the objectives of IMD celebration this year:

1. Celebrate the fourth anniversary of IMD in Kingdom of Cambodia initiated by CARAM Cambodia in cooperation with National AIDS Authority, Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training (MoLVT), local and international NGOs in Cambodia and participate in the celebration of 19th anniversary of International Migrant’s Day (IMD) around the world after UN General Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and after almost a decade of governmental negotiations and relentless advocacy by migrant communities around the world.
2. Advocate people with decision making power, policy makers and stakeholders to support migration issues so that policies, laws and regulations are reviewed and adopted so as to promote and protect migrant workers’ rights;
3. Increase public awareness on safe migration in an enabling environment to empower migrant workers to mitigate impacts and vulnerabilities of migrant workers and members of their families.

V. Remarks:

Everybody is encouraged to join Radio Talk Show Program “Together Promoting and Protecting Migrant Workers’ Rights” through call in show to be held in the coming days as mentioned in the above program and please help to disseminate a message “International Migrant’s Day (IMD) to friends, colleagues or whomever you know for the celebration of International Migrant’s Day (IMD) 18 December 2009 in Cambodia and around the world.

This article was first published by The Mirror, [3] Vol. 13, No. 643 - Thursday, 17.12.2009
Have a look at the last editorial - you can access it directly from the main page of The Mirror. [3]

Norbert Klein is the Editor of The Mirror [4] – The Mirror is a daily comprehensive summary and translation of the major Khmer language press - More about The Mirror [5]