The National Police’s Department of Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection is searching to locate a Cambodian woman who was allegedly deceived into working illegally in China.
The search comes after the woman requested help on social media from Prime Minister Hun Sen to assist in her return to Cambodia.
The department director, Chiv Phally, said on Monday that officials are trying to locate her relatives in Cambodia and are also working in collaboration with Cambodian embassy officials in China.
“The victim called for authorities to rescue her and help her get back to Cambodia, but she did not show her actual name, the current location where she is living or the name of her workplace.
“She also didn’t say where she is from in Cambodia. This makes it hard for police to investigate,” he said.
He said police contacted her through the Facebook account she used, but she did not respond. They are now requesting assistance from cybercrime officials to help determine her location.
“We do not know the result yet. We will continue to work with China to investigate,” he said.
A Facebook user named Rina Rina posted a video showing a Cambodian woman begging Hun Sen to help her return to Cambodia. The woman in the video claimed she was tortured by her boss almost every day.
“I was deceived to work in China for two years. I am very miserable. I don’t have a phone to contact my parents. I want my phone back and I want to go back to Cambodia. I don’t want to work at this place anymore.
“I have had enough. I call for Prime Minister Hun Sen to help me. I have a disease and they do not take me to hospital. I was left behind. I hope the prime minister helps me get back to my homeland to see my parents. Please, everyone, share this and help me,” she said in the video.
The Post could not contact Cambodian ambassador to China Khek Cai Mealy Sysoda for comment on Monday.
Labour rights advocate and executive director of the Centre for Alliance of Labour and Human Rights Moeun Tola said on Monday that it is not the first case of its kind if true.
He said there have been similar cases before and authorities reunited people with their family.
Tola called on Cambodia to work with the Chinese authorities to rescue the woman as soon as possible because she is having health problems.
“I urge people to not consider these people as illegal workers. We have to consider them victims that are being trafficked and we have to rescue them urgently,” he said.
