Indonesia has sought closer cooperation with the Cambodian government to eradicate human trafficking after dozens of Indonesians were trafficked to Cambodia through employment scams.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi met with Cambodian Interior Minister Samdech Krolahom Sar Kheng in Phnom Penh on Aug. 4 to discuss efforts to eradicate human trafficking, which has been rife in Cambodia.
The two sides agreed on the need to expedite their agreement on the eradication of cross-border crimes. Cambodia also agreed to expedite the repatriation of rescued Indonesian victims.
At least 298 Indonesians fell prey to fraud and human trafficking in Cambodia as of July, an increase from the 119 Indonesians last year, according to data from the Directorate for the Protection of Indonesian Citizens.
Marsudi also met with the Cambodian national police chief on Aug. 2 to discuss cooperation in the management of victims who haven’t been rescued, as well as in law enforcement and prevention of similar cases.
‘Slavery’ Conditions
Anis Hidayah, an activist for Jakarta-based Migrant Care, said that Indonesian workers were enticed by job listings on social media offering a $1,000 monthly salary to work in Cambodia.They were initially offered jobs as clerks and call-center agents, but later were forced to work for online scam companies for $500 per month or not paid at all. Workers were also subject to heavy fines if they failed to meet targets or quit.
In February, the Beijing Youth Daily reported on a Chinese national who claimed to have been victimized by a fraudulent internet job post. He was trafficked to Sihanoukville in Cambodia by a criminal gang, and then coerced into working for numerous telemarketing fraud schemes.
His captors began extracting blood from him after he refused to work, which put his life in danger. The Chinese embassy in Cambodia later revealed his surname as Li and confirmed parts of the report.
Reuters contributed to this report.