Officials complicit in human trafficking have been warned that they will feel the force of the law in a speech by Prime Minister Hun Sen marking Saturday’s National Day Against Trafficking.

In a speech given on Koh Pich, the premier said that the government was continuing to investigate cases of officials exploiting trafficking, chiefly through forging documents, and that authorities would enforce laws strictly.

“I would like to warn all officials that conspiracy related to human trafficking will result in immediate withdrawal without exception,” he said, calling on private institutions, civil society, international organisations and all citizens to join the fight against trafficking.

Lim Mony, deputy spokeswoman at rights NGO Adhoc, welcomed the statement, but warned that despite efforts by some authorities, trafficking in Cambodia was continuing with official complicity.

For three consecutive years, Cambodia has found itself on the “watch list” of the US State Department’s annual trafficking report, suggesting that increasing efforts to combat human trafficking are failing to deliver results.