Human rights group Amnesty International accused Cambodia’s government of “deliberately ignoring” abuses by cybercrime gangs that have trafficked people from across the world, including children, into slavery at brutal scam compounds.
The London-based group said yesterday in a report that it had identified 53 scam centres and dozens more suspected sites across the country, including the nation’s capital, Phnom Penh.
The prison-like compounds were ringed by high fences with razor wire, guarded by armed men and staffed by trafficking victims forced to defraud people across the globe, it said, with those inside subjected to punishments including shocks from electric batons, confinement in dark rooms, and beatings.
Amnesty said its findings revealed a “pattern of state failures” that allowed the billion-dollar industry to flourish, including failures to investigate human rights abuses, identify and assist victims, and regulate security companies and tools of torture.
Cambodian government spokesman Pen Bona said the country rejected allegations of inaction, pointing to a task force led by Prime Minister Hun Manet formed in January and saying the report was “exaggerated”.
He said Cambodia was one of the victims of the scam industry and wanted cooperation rather than blame.
While Cambodia has overseen raids that have freed some trafficked workers, Amnesty said it found more than two-thirds of scam compounds were either not investigated by police or had continued to operate even after police interventions. Two compounds did appear to have been shut down, the group said. — Reuters
