Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Siem Reap joins int'l march against trafficking

Siem Reap joins int'l march against trafficking

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
The National Committee for Counter Trafficking launches a new campaign in Siem Reap province against human trafficking on October 16. NCCT

Siem Reap joins int'l march against trafficking

A21 Cambodia, in partnership with the Siem Reap provincial committee for countering human trafficking, on Sunday held a "walk to end human trafficking” march in Siem Reap to raise public awareness about the issue.

Kristen Scharf, country manager of A21 Cambodia, said at the event that A21 was an international NGO determined to eradicate human trafficking through awareness raising, interventions to rescue victims and aftercare services for them.

The walk to end human trafficking is an annual event that takes place all over the world in order to raise global awareness and inspire local actions to combat human trafficking, she said.

“For Cambodia, this is the first time that this event was organised in partnership with the national and provincial committees for counter-trafficking and the local community. We are excited to officially launch the walk in Cambodia,” she said.

About 600 people showed up and took part in the walk to spread awareness and help prevent human trafficking, while thousands more onlookers from the general public of the town witnessed the procession.

Chou Bun Eng, permanent vice-chair of the National Committee for Counter-Trafficking (NCCT), told The Post that the “walk to end human trafficking” event was not done in other provinces this year and was a one-off event in Cambodia organized by the A21 Foundation.

"We do it to show our willingness to combat human trafficking and we want to gain people’s attention about what we are doing and its purposes. I think it is a good thing to raise our people's awareness about this topic.

“Our country has a lot of programmes related to this campaign, such as inter-religious national day against trafficking on December 12, and many other smaller programmes,” she said.

The NCCT said last week that in the 51 days from August 18 to October 4, authorities investigated 420 cases of alleged human trafficking.

The committee said that the police conducted searches and investigations and found 229 instances of various crimes related to human trafficking, including 118 victims of five nationalities who had suffered through illegal detention, extortion, torture, human trafficking, and prostitution while being forced to work for illegal online gambling operations or as online scammers.

The NCCT further stated that police arrested 67 Cambodian and foreign suspects whose cases were sent to court.

MOST VIEWED

  • Ream base allegations must end, urges official

    A senior government official urges an end to the allegations and suspicions surrounding the development of Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, now that Prime Minister Hun Manet has addressed the issue on the floor of the 78th UN General Assembly (UNGA 78). Jean-Francois Tain, a geopolitical

  • Cambodia set to celebrate Koh Ker UNESCO listing

    To celebrate the inscription of the Koh Ker archaeological site on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, the Ministry of Cults and Religion has appealed to pagodas and places of worship to celebrate the achievement by ringing bells, shaking rattles and banging gongs on September 20. Venerable

  • CP denied registration documents by ministry

    The Ministry of Interior will not reissue registration documents to the Candlelight Party (CP). Following a September 21 meeting between ministry secretary of state Bun Honn and CP representatives, the ministry cited the fact that there is no relevant law which would authorise it to do

  • PM to open new Siem Reap int’l airport December 1

    Prime Minister Hun Manet and Chinese leaders would jointly participate in the official opening of the new Chinese-invested Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport on December 1. The airport symbolises a new page in the history of Cambodian aviation, which will be able to welcome long-distance flights to

  • Cambodian diaspora laud Manet’s UN Assembly visit

    Members of the Cambodian diaspora are rallying in support of Prime Minister Hun Manet’s forthcoming visit to the 78th UN General Assembly (UNGA 78) in the US’ New York City this week. Their move is an apparent response to a recent call by self-exiled former

  • Minimum wage set at $204, after Sep 28 vote

    The minimum wage for factory workers in the garment, footwear and travel goods industries for 2024 has been decided at $204 per month, with the government contributing $2. Following several negotiation sessions, the tripartite talks reached an agreement during a September 28 vote, with 46 of 51 votes supporting the $202 figure.