Cambodia Advances in Combat Against Illegal Casinos and Human Trafficking
Cambodia's illegal casinos and online gambling operators have caused a surge in crime, bringing about human trafficking and other forms of torture. The whole world expressed their concern, prompting the Cambodian government to take action against these illegal operations.
Once upon a time, Sihanoukville in Cambodia was set to be the next gambling hot spot. However, the city quickly drowned in chaos, much like Poipet, with a lawless environment taking over. Multiple reports of kidnappings, torture, and human trafficking emerged, with it being estimated that over 30 thousand people were victims.
Cambodia's government is now fighting back. In the latest figures, there have only been 1,036 human trafficking cases recorded online. These cases involve foreigners, where 989 investigations led to the arrest of 338 individuals and the closure of five businesses. Currently, 47 cases are still open while another 338 have been officially closed.
Chou Bun Eng, the Secretary of State of the Ministry of the Interior and NCCT Vice Chair, claimed that the state-led investigation into human trafficking is "far less serious" than what international media outlets had portrayed. Eng argued that many of the human trafficking victims were part of international crime groups. She also highlighted that there have been relatively few complaints lately, with some weeks seeing none at all.
In 2021, the NCCT tackled 359 human trafficking cases, while U.S.'s State Department's data, citing official Cambodian government information, showed 364. The tally decreased to 166 in 2022. Cambodia's government is undergoing transition after recent political chaos. Human rights organizations hope that the new political figures will continue the initiatives implemented by their predecessors.
Although Cambodia is trying to clean up its image, not everyone in the country agrees. Billboards promoting online gambling that have been recently removed from Poipet are a case in point. The billboards were located in front of the Poipet Customs and Excise Office, seemingly showing blatant disregard for the government's efforts.
Poipet officials asserted that no permits were applied for in installing the billboards, as required by law. The individuals involved in the billboards' installation included the online gambling platform, the designers, and the installers. Despite the fact that online gambling is prohibited in the nation, they all seemed to support the billboards' installation.
These billboards were only up for two days before local authorities demanded them to be removed. Investigations are presently underway to discover who was involved in this illicit activity. (Source: Khmer Times)
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Source: www.casino.org
