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| Migrant worker Nouv Vuthy (right), aged 21, hugs his father Chheung Heab upon returning to Cambodia from Malaysia on Friday. (Photo by: Meng Kimlong) |
Monday, 01 August 2011
Sen David and David Boyle
The Phnom Penh Post
Trafficking victim Thith Sopheak had a strong warning for people contemplating the promises of labour brokers when he returned home to Cambodia on Friday – don’t believe them, you’ll end up in hell.
“It just put tears in my eyes to see them [other victims]. It is a hellish situation. There are a lot of Cambodians, not just 100, maybe 1,000 on the boats,” he said.
An unknown number of Cambodian men, like him, have been trafficked onto Thai and Malaysian fishing boats as slave labourers and subjected to appalling abuses.
Those deemed expendable – falling ill or exhausted from 22-hour work days – have reportedly been beaten and then tossed in the South China Sea to die.
Thith Sopheak and six other men were the “lucky” ones, who jumped ship and were eventually rescued in Malaysia, before finally arriving home on Friday.
“They mistreated us so much. They hit us and so many Cambodians died at sea,” said the 29–year-old at Phnom Penh International Airport.
“I decided to jump into the water. I thought that if I was lucky, I would live. I swam 200 metres and arrived in Malaysia.”
Chan Phally, the mother of 21-year-old victim Nouv Vuthy, who also returned on Friday, said she had warned her son that offers of lucrative jobs in Thailand from brokers were dangerous, but he stubbornly decided to go anyway.
“I was ill when he called me once and said he had been trafficked as a boatman,” she said, tentatively waiting to hug the son she had not seen for months.
“I missed my relatives, especially my mum, so much. Right now I feel reborn,” her son said following their reunion.
Although six of the group have now returned home, their future remains uncertain, said Huy Pich Sovann, a programme officer at the Community Legal Education Center in Cambodia, yesterday.
“They are still worrying about their lives. They have no jobs and they have no income … it’s very difficult to find them jobs or provide them training,” he said. But the men had received gifts of noodles, canned fish and US$10 each from the Cambodian Red Cross and could perhaps find some work as paid advocates, warning potential victims of the horror they endured, he added.
Most were keen to start their own businesses, he said, but were unaware of any financial assistance to be provided from the government.
Repatriated victim Sun Baraing, aged 47, said on Friday that he would never make the mistake of going abroad to work again.
“I am alive, this is my luck. I am illiterate and I don’t know what to do in the future. I just want to live with my mum in happiness. I am a man, I will not cry,” he said.
Bith Kimhong, director of the anti-human trafficking and juvenile protection department at the Ministry of Interior, said yesterday investigations were underway to identify and arrest the brokers responsible for trafficking the men in late 2010 and early 2011.
“After we interviewed [the victims], we made a conclusion that it was a suspected case of human trafficking across the border and we have been working to conduct an investigation,” he said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY VONG SOKHENG
42 comments:
Cambodian gov't must bring the awareness to the people and the gov'ts of Thailand and Malaysia. Our people for not for them to be exploited.
The WHite guy from the back:"Wow, Khmer men are super gay"
The Cambodian gov’t is to blame for disregarding the Khmer who go to work outside of the country.
One of main the root cause is the enormous influx of the Vietnamese illegal immigrants; they push these Khmer people to find work somewhere else. They are parasites and they only benefit the ruling party, but they cause a lot of misfortune to the millions of ordinary Cambodians.
I agree with 11:33 PM.
If someone can find a decent work close to home and family, who wants to go to work in a faraway land and sea.
Cambodia gov't must end exploitation on Cambodian people... It is unacceptable.
people must call attention to the human rights advocators to help stop this kind of human abuse, really!
One cannot stop foreigners from abusing Cambodians , but Cambodians can help creating job at home by changing the evil CPP governmet. This abuse has existed since there is time. CPP government know that there would be abuse, but careless and incapable.
Change for the new government by whatever mean You can, at least condemn the CPP and support nationalist like SRP.
US resident.
12:02 AM
So tell me, what is the role the gov’t of a country for?
They can’t even stop the enormous influx of the Vietnamese illegal immigrants.
Your bosses need to step down for incompetency.
really!
ok!
you know!
etc!
This CPP government is a disgrace to Cambodia nation and its people. This incompetent government must step down.
people should stop being so egotistical, really! we are on the same boat together, so, stop being so stupid, ok! people are so quick to blinded to react to motion, did they know that it is a sign of ignorance when they blame others, point finger, stereotyping gov't, using their bias assumption, etc, etc, really! grow up already, ok! stop being stupid forever, ok! of course, there are more to cambodia than you and i, ok!
As Cambodian citizen, I am uneducated
about the government roles.I had no clue whatsoever. All I know and witnessed that there are many Cambodian's are struggle to survive and lived in poverty. I do not blame people who accused the government of incompetency.
Modern day slavery; it's more common in Cambodia than any other country in the world.
It would a moutain to change the attitudes and the indifference officials in order to protect the Citizens.
It's very unfortunate to learn that Khmers MUST struggle to abolish the Slavery hellish atmosphere.
WE NEED GOVERNMENT THAT WORK FOR THE CITIZENS OF ITS COUNTRY...
The Cambodian government under the CPP leadership disregard these types of circumstances. For the most part, the Cambodian government will actually blame the Cambodian laborers for causing this upon themselves....and never the foreign governments' lack of human rights monitoring.
Cambodian laborers in Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia are treated worse than dogs. However, in Cambodia, Vietnamese laborers are treated with high regard and the CPP government makes sure they ALWAYS have it their way regardless.
Sad reality.
សម្ដេចមហាដេជោ ហុន សែន បានប្រកាសប្រាប់
ថាការងារនៅស្រុកខ្មែរមានមិនខ្វះមិននាំគ្នាធ្វើ បែ
ជានាំគ្នាទៅធ្វើនៅប្រទេសក្រៅទៅវិញ នេះបានចំ
ជាយ៉ាប់មែនខ្មែរ ហើយម្នាក់ៗចេះតែនាំគ្នាដាក់កំ
ហុសមកលើសម្ដេច៕
ខ្មែរ មហាលោតផ្លោះ មហាអស្ចារ្យ!!!!
Gook gavermant! Hoon Xen Gook gook!
12:43 AM,
Why do you have to attack another commenter all the times when you make a comment?
I bet you would physically punish him or even kill him if you were in the position of power and could get away from your evil actions.
You seem to be a Hun Sen hater and opposition supporter, but I could not see any difference in you who hates Hun Sen!
Wake up and stop showing such a hatred. Learn to accept different opinions and realize that yours may not be that good at all!
Pissed off
Read the articles again before blaming.
The man did not even take his mother's advice about leaving Cambodia so it is not that he did not have a warning, he had it from his own mother and yet still went.
He is to be blamed first before anybody else?
How could you prevent him from falling victim to these human traffickers when he wants to do so himself?
You can't stop everyone.
Perhaps those who complain so much on this issue should come here and volunteer like many westerners to help spread information on human traffickings.
You live in the US and other countries and are so good at blaming, but you have done nothing and I say it again louder, "nothing!". However, you are very good at blaming and criticizing; well keep doing it and see how many victims you can help. I would say "zero".
Pissed off
fucking corruption cambodia goverment. they only care is the money go into there pocket.
It's the responsibility of agents of the agencies that hired and trained these poor souls from the 1st place.
There must be a contract agreement of whom they would work, for how long and how much it would be and in which country!
Those agencies can't just send these people to the slaughter house.
Baay Kdaing.
សម្ដេចមហាដេជោ ហុន សែន បានប្រកាសប្រាប់
ថាការងារនៅស្រុកខ្មែរមានមិនខ្វះមិននាំគ្នាធ្វើ បែ
ជានាំគ្នាទៅធ្វើនៅប្រទេសក្រៅទៅវិញ នេះបានចំ
ជាយ៉ាប់មែនខ្មែរ ហើយម្នាក់ៗចេះតែនាំគ្នាដាក់កំ
ហុសមកលើសម្ដេច៕
ខ្មែរ មហាលោតផ្លោះ មហាអស្ចារ្យ!!!!
This is what happens if we lose our sovereignty, teritorial integrity and independence.
Do we want our children, grandchildren, great grandchildren to be exported to be enslaved like this?
My Khmer compatriots, it's about time that we all wake up and put our Beloved motherland's interest first before it's too late.
We have to make sacrifice for our common cause, that is our national independenece and freedom.
NO PAIN NO GAIN!
5:04am
Bravo!!! Well said. You are truly Khmer.
Pissed Off @ 2:58,
FYI! Over-Seas) Cambodian are the voice of the people. Because no one dare speak against the govt. If we (Over-Seas) are to sit in silence, what would Cambodia be today? We voice our opinions to critique the govt of their failure to lead the country.
(12:53)
REALLY!
OKAY!
YOU KNOW!
ETC.....ETC!
THERE ARE MORE TO CAMBODIA THAN YOU AND I!
What you meant to say is:
There are more to Cambodia for Vietnam than you and I!
There are no more Cambodia for you and I!
Pissed Off, thanks for speaking up for Cambodian/Khmer people. I agree with you, Khmer people oversea have many abilities to raise awareness and make the voices be heard around the world, showing how bad the CPP government in Cambodia under the secret provision from Vietnamese Communist Government in Hanoi. We need to stop Vietnamese/Yuon CPP officials and illegal Vietnamese folks operating in Cambodia. I want to say more, but I want to keep the comment short to make easy to follow.
Yes, agree with 6:29AM, that 12:53 AM is very very very annoyed. Don't know who this person is. I am really pissed off, though.
To Pissed off
I only attack Hun Sen’s dogs, because I have been here long enough to know their writing style.
you know!
really!
ok!
etc!
6:36AM
You too? I thought it was just me. ROTFLMAO!!!!!
Remember, better to work and live and dire in your own country. it doesn't matter how much they tell you that you will earn in other country, especially in Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam.
I personally never believed these countries cos they have no law within among their own people and can they provide one for people like us poor nation.
Its a scam!!!!
Me too!ROTFLMAO!!!!!
you know!
really!
ok!
etc!
why are the boat captains not being convicted?
Hoon Xen doesn't give a shit about Cambodian people any way, he is only care about his power, money and corruption. When he need it them he ask them to join the army by saying Neak Snaeha Cheat but when the war is over he just doesn't give a shit about them. It is the same here when he needs their votes he give them this and that but he elected he doesn't give a shit about them. So remember who you are voting for next time before we run out of land because Hoon Xen give them to million of youns in Cambodia.
1:17,
The man have no other choice but to take his chance in an attempt to feed his family. I am pretty sure he exhausted every avenue in trying to find work at home. This man, like many other Cambodian, step up to the plate to be the man of the house when he know's that his father or mother is no longer the soul provider. Therefore, the absent's of danger no longer applies to him. The body of a human being can only go without food for so long until the need of survival kicks in.
Last, dying at home, along with your family with an empty
stomach is a fool. I, like this man will probably share the same path in do what ever it takes to feed the family. This, at least my family know that I died trying.
7:43AM,
Exactly! Feel free, Human Right, to step in anytime soon!
I agree with you 8:16 AM.
If someone can find a decent work close to home and family, who wants to go to work in a faraway land and sea? There must be a good reason for their sacrifice.
I do not believe the current government protect their own people like other country. You all knew, if you make a mistake against Viet Government, you will send to VientName for trial. The current government wants to get rid of you.
អាហ៊ុន សែនឲ្យរាស្ត្រខ្មែរហូរចេញរាប់ហ្មឺននាក់។
រាស្ត្រខ្មែរហូរចូលថៃ ៨០ពាន់នាក់ស្របច្បាប់។
រាស្ត្រខ្មែរចេញទៅកូរេខាងត្បូង១២០ពាន់នាក់។
ខ្មែរទៅនៅតៃវ៉ាន់២០ពាន់នាក់ ដើម្បីធ្វើខ្ញុំគេ។
ខ្មែរទៅម៉ាឡេស៊ី និង សិង្គបូរីរាប់សិបហ្មឺននាក់។
យួនហូរចូលស្រុកខ្មែរ ៦លាននាក់ និង ហូរចូល
រាល់ខែ ២០០០នាក់។
ទ័ពយួនមាន ២០០ពាន់កងពល រស់នៅក្នុង
ចំការស៊ូធំទាំងប្រាំពីរ។
កងសម្ងាត់រាប់ពាន់នាក់ទូទាំងប្រទេសខ្មែរ។
ក្មេងប្រុសនេះឥតការងារធ្វើក្នុងស្រុកចិត្តផ្ដូរ
ជីវិតទៅរកស៊ីធ្វើខ្ញុំកញ្ជះគេ។ យួនដេកស្រណុក
ក្នុងស្រុក ចែកដីស្រែគោក្របី រទេះ ធ្វើផ្ទះ
ឲ្យទៀត។ អាហ៊ុន សែន ស្រលាញ់យួន។
នៅមានល្បងគិម សុខាមួយទៀតស្រលាញ់
អាមីស្រកីដូង។
There is no easy solution to this. We tend to blame human traffickers each time something like this happens but, unless we can prove that the traffickers knowingly delivered these trafficked victims to be abused, the major part of the blame should be directed at the abusers themselves.
Though educating potential trafficked victims would reduce the trade, it would not stop it completely because people without hope will take risks.
Let me propose the following basic steps and people can add on to it and/or improve:
1. Education on human trafficking.
2. Govt should send clear a message to the traffickers (who may think of themselves as agents) that they would face severe punishment if they send these job seeker to an unsafe destination.
3. Govt in the region should come up with a plan to deal with abusive employers. While a lot of our people go and work in other contries, there may be other people working and being abused in our country.
10:14AM,
I notice the key word is....Government! Isn't that part of the problem, not a solution?
Your proposal sounds good and dandy, but it revert to.....again, government.
WAKE UP AND STAND UP KHMER
FIND OUT . WHO DO THIS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ? CPP
Just a few simple examples:
The Thai people and gov’t care about their citizens being locked up in Prey Sar.
Does the Khmer gov’t give a shit about so many Cambodian in Thai prison, no?
Besides in battle, how many Thai civilians are killed by the Khmer soldiers, none?
Likewise how many Khmer civilians are killed by the Thai soldiers, beaucoup?
And does the Khmer gov’t give a shit, no?
Foreign embassies of the world can issue passports to its citizens, but Cambodian Embassies around the world cannot issue passports to its citizens, let alone effectively represent its citizens when they need help while abroad.
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