VZCZCXRO4581
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHPF #0350/01 0640115
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 050115Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8106
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC 0648
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC 0013

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 PHNOM PENH 000350 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, PRM, IWI, EAP/RSP, EAP/MLS 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USAID/ANE 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREF ELAB SMIG KCRM KWMN KFRD ASEC CB
SUBJECT: 2007 TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT FOR CAMBODIA 
 
REFTEL: STATE 202745 
 
¶1.  (U) The following is Embassy Phnom Penh's contribution towards 
the preparation of the 2007 Trafficking in Persons Report for 
Cambodia, covering the period March 2006 - March 2007.  Responses 
follow the questions outlined in reftel.  The entire report is 
classified sensitive but unclassified (SBU). 
 
Overview of the Country's Activities, Statistics 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
1A.  (SBU) Is the country a country of origin, transit or 
destination for international trafficked men, women, or children? 
Provide, where possible, numbers or estimates for each group; how 
they were trafficked, to where and for what purposes.  Does the 
trafficking occur within the country's borders?  Does it occur 
within territory outside of the government's control (e.g. in a 
civil war situation)?  Are any estimates or reliable numbers 
available as to the extent or magnitude of the problem?  What is 
(are) the source(s) of available information on trafficking in 
persons or what plans are in place (if any) to undertake 
documentation of trafficking?  How reliable are the numbers and 
these sources?  Are certain groups of persons more at risk of being 
trafficked (e.g. women and children, boys versus girls, certain 
ethnic groups, refugees, etc.)? 
 
Cambodia is a source, destination, and transit country for 
trafficking in persons, including men, women and children.  The 
majority of Cambodian trafficking victims are trafficked for labor 
purposes, due to Cambodia's relative poverty and poor economic 
conditions compared with its immediate neighbors; Cambodian women 
and girls are also trafficked for sexual exploitation.  Cambodians 
are trafficked primarily within the Mekong sub-region, particularly 
to Thailand and Malaysia.  Trafficking also occurs within Cambodia's 
borders, from rural areas to Phnom Penh and other secondary cities 
within the country. 
 
In Cambodia, commercial sex work goes on in guesthouses, karaoke 
clubs, massage shops, beer gardens, restaurants and nightclubs that 
provide direct and indirect sex workers.  Barbershops, noodle shops, 
and other commercial establishments may also function as venues for 
commercial sex operations either on the premises or "on delivery" 
for clients.  Both TIP victims and voluntary sex workers are 
intermingled at such venues.  Many ethnic Vietnamese sex workers in 
voluntary sex work are or were originally trafficked to Cambodia 
through debt bondage.  Debt bondage is also a factor in the 
recruitment of Cambodian trafficking victims, who are convinced that 
they are accepting legitimate restaurant, factory, or other work 
opportunities in Phnom Penh or other cities and then forced into sex 
work. 
 
There are no firm estimates or reliable numbers available as to the 
extent or magnitude of the overall trafficking problem.  Two surveys 
have attempted to measure the commercial sex industry in the 
country:  a 1997 report by the Commission on Human Rights and a 2003 
study by a former Fulbright researcher, Thomas Steinfatt.  The 1997 
Commission on Human Rights for the National Assembly included a 
country-wide survey of brothels, and estimated that there were 
14,725 brothel workers in Cambodia (ignoring other venues) and that 
81 percent of workers were Cambodian and 18 percent Vietnamese.  The 
study did not attempt to differentiate between voluntary sex workers 
and trafficking victims. 
 
Steinfatt's 2003 statistical study on the number of prostitutes and 
sex trafficking victims in Cambodia estimated 18,256 sex workers 
(all venues) in Cambodia, of which 65.6 percent were Cambodian and 
32.8 percent Vietnamese.  The Steinfatt study estimated that there 
were 2,000 sex trafficking victims in Cambodia, with 80.4 percent of 
the sex trafficking victims being ethnic Vietnamese.  Steinfatt's 
trafficking estimates have been disputed by some who believe the 
actual victim numbers to be higher, although no separate data exist 
that accurately quantify sex trafficking victims. 
 
Limited trafficking statistics are available from RGC border 
authorities involved in the repatriation of Cambodians from 
neighboring countries.  Cambodian authorities, in cooperation with 
international organizations such as UNICEF and IOM, try to 
distinguish between illegal migrants and trafficking victims, 
particularly children, and have some statistical information. 
Within Cambodia, NGOs that provide services to victims referred by 
police, judicial, and social service officials often are another 
source of limited statistical information based on their respective 
operations. 
 
In 2006, the NGO Cambodian Women's Crisis Center (CWCC) assisted 146 
 
PHNOM PENH 00000350  002 OF 007 
 
 
victims of trafficking, 67 of whom were victims of cross border 
trafficking.  The NGO AFESIP assisted 67 victims of trafficking 
among the 310 residents admitted to its shelters during the year. 
During the 11-month period between March 2006 and January 2007, the 
Ministry of Interior reported the arrests of 44 offenders for 
domestic trafficking and 21 for cross-border trafficking, and the 
rescues of 69 and 51 victims of cross-border and domestic 
trafficking, respectively.  The Ministry of Social Affairs reported 
the total number of victims of trafficking during the same period to 
be 360, of whom 171 were victims of domestic trafficking and 189 of 
cross-border trafficking.  Of the 360 total, 177 victims were 
trafficked for sexual exploitation, and 183 for labor purposes. 
During 2006, IOM identified 131 victims of trafficking, out of 757 
Cambodian returnees from Vietnam, and 252 victims of trafficking, 
mostly children, from Thailand. 
 
There are no studies that suggest minority groups are more 
susceptible to trafficking.  Some provinces, by virtue of their 
proximity to neighboring Thailand or Vietnam, are also source areas 
for trafficking victims.  In a 2004 survey, PACT-Cambodia found a 
correlation between residential origins of trafficking victims and 
communities along major highways. 
 
Thailand is the major destination country for trafficked Cambodians, 
but there are no reliable numbers on how many persons are trafficked 
to Thailand each year.  Cambodian men are trafficked to work in the 
Thai fish, construction and agricultural industries; women and young 
girls are trafficked for factory and domestic work, but are also 
subject to sexual exploitation in the Thai commercial sex industry. 
 
 
Children are not prevented from crossing the Thai border with 
strangers or alone, and Cambodians can buy a border pass to cross 
the border without needing to show any identification. 
Poipet/Aranyaprathet is the primary Cambodia-Thai border post. 
Children mainly from Banteay Meanchey and Battambang provinces in 
Cambodia's northwestern region continue to be trafficked to Thailand 
to beg, sell candy or flowers, and shine shoes.  IOM and UNICEF have 
contact with nearly all children repatriated from Thailand at the 
Poipet border crossing, and select out the trafficking victims for 
special care through IOM's Poipet Transit Center, which is staffed 
jointly by IOM and Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth 
(MOSAVY) staff.  According to UNICEF, in 2006 there were 198 
unaccompanied children deported from Thailand to Cambodia, some of 
whom were trafficking victims.  According to IOM/MOSAVY, Thai 
authorities repatriated 86 women and children who were identified as 
TIP victims and deported another 165 alleged TIP victims during 
¶2005. 
 
Cambodian women continue to be trafficked via 
Thailand to Malaysia for commercial sexual exploitation, and others 
are trafficked directly to Malaysia for exploitation as agricultural 
laborers, domestic help, and sex workers. 
 
According to IOM's 2006 statistics, children in two districts of 
Svay Rieng Province continue to be trafficked to Ho Chi Minh City in 
Vietnam for begging.  Cambodian traffickers contract with the 
children's parents, with monthly payments ranging from 100,000 riels 
(USD 25) to 150,000 riels (USD 37) per child.  IOM explained that 
Cambodian facilitators take three to four children at a time across 
the porous, unmonitored border to Vietnam.  A single trafficker may 
coordinate several facilitators.  Border controls are minimal and 
the children cross to Vietnam freely, according to IOM.  Cambodian 
traffickers personally supervise the children in Vietnam, and 
reportedly have few problems with police raids.  According to 
MOSAVY, 757 people -- mostly child beggars - were returned by 
Vietnamese authorities and reintegrated in 2006. 
 
Vietnamese women and children, many in debt bondage, continue to be 
trafficked from Ang Giang, Contho, Soc Tzeug and other provinces in 
Vietnam to Cambodia for commercial sex work primarily in Phnom Penh. 
 Information from AFESIP, CWCC, and UNICEF indicates that Vietnamese 
women and girls are trafficked through Cambodia by organized 
Vietnamese criminal gangs to onward destinations in Thailand and 
Malaysia. 
 
During the summer of 2006, Chinese women in debt bondage were 
discovered engaging in commercial sex work in Cambodia.  Many of 
these women are working to repay debt incurred in their home 
country. 
 
A moratorium since 2002 on international adoption by some western 
countries, including the United States, has largely curbed reports 
of trafficking of infants for foreign adoption.  Concerns 
surrounding this type of trafficking led the RGC to redraft the 
 
PHNOM PENH 00000350  003 OF 007 
 
 
country's adoption legislation, and a new law is currently being 
developed which has recently been reviewed by the Council of 
Ministers and returned to MOSAVY.  The Cambodian government is 
working with international organizations and other donors to ensure 
that international adoptions are conducted properly in the future to 
diminish the trafficking of infants for profit. 
 
Changes in Trafficking Patterns; Political Will 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
1B.  Please provide a general overview of the trafficking situation 
in the country and any changes since the last TIP report (e.g. 
changes in direction).  Also briefly explain the political will to 
address trafficking in persons.  Other items to address may include: 
 What kind of conditions are the victims trafficked into?  Which 
populations are targeted by the traffickers?  Who are the 
traffickers? What methods are used to approach victims? (Are they 
offered lucrative jobs, sold by their families, approached by 
friends of friends, etc.?)  What methods are used to move the 
victims (e.g., are false documents being used?) 
 
Cambodia has made important strides in combating trafficking over 
the past years.  The Ministry of Interior has implemented a national 
anti-TIP plan.  The RGC is moving ahead with drafting a modern 
anti-trafficking law and has concluded MOUs on combating trafficking 
with its two biggest neighbors.  In 2005, the Cambodian National 
Police botched a raid, compensated with a successful raid and then 
jailing of four individuals associated with the Chhay Hour II hotel. 
 In fall of 2006, the hotel reopened under a new name after the 
owner and manager were released by the Appeals Court.  In 2007, 
Cambodian authorities raided the hotel for the third time, detaining 
four suspects, including the two original detainees.  Additionally, 
the Prime Minister publicly criticized the Appeals Court and 
demanded an investigation into the court's decision. 
 
The Cambodian government at its most senior levels supports greater 
emphasis on the fight against trafficking in persons.  Prime 
Minister Hun Sen has spoken out on numerous occasions against 
trafficking.  On March 5, 2006, he called for more concerted action 
from the government and NGOs to fight human trafficking, and warned 
against Cambodia being labeled as a sex tourism destination.  While 
senior officials recognize that measures undertaken to date are 
insufficient to stem TIP within and out of Cambodia, the RGC 
recognizes that the problem must be addressed comprehensively and in 
accordance with internationally recognized norms regarding 
prosecution of traffickers, protection of victims, and public 
awareness campaigns and other programs to prevent people from 
falling victim to TIP.  The RGC also recognizes that the problem is 
a regional one, and involves the cooperation of neighboring 
countries.  The RGC has cooperated with U.S.-supported and other 
NGOs operating in Cambodia on TIP. 
 
On February 6, 2007, the Cambodian government, represented by five 
concerned ministries, signed an agreement on the guidelines for 
implementation and cooperation between relevant government 
institutions and victims support agencies in cases of human 
trafficking.  This agreement defines the roles and responsibilities 
of agencies working with trafficking, and marks a positive 
development in inter-ministerial cooperation. 
 
The lack of statistical data impedes attempts to characterize 
changes in the trafficking climate from one year to the next.  As 
long as the economies of Cambodia's neighbors continue to expand, 
Cambodian labor remains cheap and jobs inside the country are scare, 
Cambodians will continue to migrate out for labor purposes.  It is 
the belief of some NGOs that cross-border trafficking in both 
directions across the Cambodia-Vietnam border has decreased in 2006; 
such a conclusion can be reached by noting IOM's decrease in the 
number of returnees from Vietnam as well as fewer Vietnamese victims 
in shelters in Cambodia (Note: details provided below.); increased 
economic opportunity in the border region along with increased NGO 
efforts to combat trafficking could be responsible for this 
reduction.  However, whether trafficking within Cambodia has 
decreased cannot be ascertained.  NGOs and observers note that 
trafficking activity in the beach town of Sihanoukville is growing; 
increased tourism and weak police and judicial authorities are two 
reasons; one notable international NGO called cooperation with 
government authorities in Sihanoukville the worst in Cambodia. 
 
CWCC claims its 2006 statistics indicate a decline in human 
trafficking.  In 2006, the NGO received only 117 cases, compared to 
191 in 2005 and 282 in 2004.  The director opined that legal labor 
migration to Thailand and Malaysia has contributed to the decrease 
in trafficking. 
 
 
PHNOM PENH 00000350  004 OF 007 
 
 
AFESIP's statistics also revealed that the number of trafficking 
victims has slightly decreased, from 92 in 2005 to 67 in 2006.  The 
number of traffickers arrested also decreased from 27 to 21.  The 
NGO noted that the number of trafficking victims from Vietnam 
decreased from 127 in 2005 to 63 in 2006. 
 
IOM reported a similar downward trend for trafficking to Vietnam. 
In 2006, there were 131 victims, compared to 100 victims for the 
last six months of 2005.  The number of returnees from Vietnam in 
general is also decreasing, 757 in 2006, compared to 1,121 in 2005. 
 
The notorious Svay Pak brothel area that was closed after an 
extended 2004 crackdown by Anti-TIP police and IJM, is reported to 
be in operation again, although in a more concealed manner.  At 
present, no additional information is available about the Svay Pak 
area.  A study conducted in 2005 by AidTous and the Coalition to 
Address Sexual Exploitation of Children in Cambodia (COSECAM) to 
revaluate the impact of closing Svay Pak on children found that the 
closure did not stop the commercial sexual exploitation of children. 
 Many of these children were scattered to other brothels in Phnom 
Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, and are living in worse 
conditions in underground operations. 
 
There continued to be incidents of Cambodian men and women 
being trafficked to Malaysia via Thailand and scattered reports of 
individuals trafficked to farther destinations.  In 2006, as in 
previous years, there were also reports of Cambodian women going to 
work in Malaysia through legal channels, but ending up in 
exploitative situations.  The Ministry of Women's Affairs (MOWA) 
continues to have serious concerns about the protection of Cambodian 
women working in domestic positions in Malaysia and the potential 
for abuse or coercion and trafficking into the sex industry.  The 
MOWA has advocated the establishment of a follow-up mechanism to 
ensure the well-being of domestic workers after arrival in Malaysia. 
 
 
In 2004, UNICEF indicated the beginnings of a change in TIP 
patterns, with evidence suggesting a rising number (if not yet 
significant compared to the main routes) of trafficking 
cases to Hong Kong and Taiwan.  Recently, there were reports of 
Cambodian women who went to Taiwan through marriage but are now left 
in legal limbo for political and diplomatic reasons.  It is reported 
that there are about 5,000 Cambodians in Taiwan, some of whom were 
trafficked for sexual exploitation.  The Kamrieng border crossing 
point in Battambang (connecting to Trat in Thailand) has became 
another trafficking/smuggling route in recent years. 
 
Research conducted by Friends International and UNIAP on child 
begging issues in Thailand found that the majority of Cambodian 
child beggars traveled to Bangkok with their mothers or other family 
members and that most beggars had a degree of control over their 
day-to-day lives.  In contrast to previous assumptions, the research 
found that the majority of Cambodian child beggars in Bangkok did 
not experience abusive practices or trafficking.  The issue is more 
related to migration of vulnerable migrants rather than trafficking. 
 However, the research found that almost 20% of children questioned 
came with a facilitator or non-blood relative.  Most of the children 
who came with their mother said they were happy with the situation, 
while half of those who came with a facilitator said they were 
unhappy. 
 
Due to poverty, lack of jobs, family problems and unequal access to 
educational opportunities, women and children, especially those in 
rural areas where 80 percent of the population resides, are the most 
vulnerable segment of society to sex trafficking.  These victims are 
particularly susceptible to the lure of employment, often via the 
intercession of relatives, friends, or unknown persons, to pay off 
personal or family debts incurred by factors such as drought or the 
serious illness of a family member.  NGOs have identified certain 
risk factors that increase the probability of a girl being lured 
into prostitution:  an older sister, relative, or friend already 
involved in the commercial sex industry; the parents of the girl 
have divorced or separated; one or both of the parents are dead and 
the girl is living with relatives or friends; one or both parents 
are drug addicts, alcoholics, or gamblers; the family is desperately 
poor; the girl has little or no education; and the girl is of the 
appropriate age for the sex industry.  NGOs report that domestic 
violence and rape are often precursors to trafficking, as girls who 
are raped are culturally stigmatized and left with little hope of 
having a normal life. 
 
Traffickers of Cambodian women and children for sex can be 
known or distant acquaintances who promise work in Phnom 
Penh, or relatives, boyfriends or husbands that take the 
women or underage girls and sell them to a brothel. 
 
PHNOM PENH 00000350  005 OF 007 
 
 
 
Asian men are often prepared to pay a premium to have sex with 
virgins, with one NGO reporting that clients will pay as much as USD 
1,000 for three days with a virgin.  In one study, AideTous found 
that 55 percent of interviewed prostitutes had sex for the first 
time with a foreign client, and two-thirds were between the ages of 
13-18 when they lost their virginity to a client. 
 
When Cambodians are moved abroad, they often are brought through the 
porous borders with Thailand or Vietnam without documentation.  Some 
women are reportedly trafficked to Thailand for sex by boat from the 
Cambodian province of Koh Kong.  In cases of human trafficking to 
Malaysia, women are reportedly entering the country with valid 
Cambodian passports, with allegations of complicity on the part of 
Thai and Malay border and immigration officials.    Attempts to 
lobby Malaysia to grant legal rights to foreign domestic workers 
have been unsuccessful, although the Ministry of Women's Affairs 
continues discussions with its counterpart in Malaysia on this 
issue. 
 
When victims are trafficked out of Cambodia, NGOs claim that 
trafficking networks are involved.  The Vietnamese, Thai and 
Chinese-Malays are alleged to have regional networks that traffic 
drugs, guns, women and children to regional markets such as Thailand 
and Malaysia. 
 
Government Resource Limitations, Corruption 
------------------------------------------- 
 
1C.  What are the limitations of the government's ability to address 
this problem in practice?  For example, is funding for police or 
other institutions inadequate?  Is overall corruption a problem? 
Does the government lack the resources to aid victims? 
 
The Cambodian government is severely limited in its ability 
to effectively combat trafficking.  In general, Cambodian government 
institutions remain very weak as a result of 25 years of civil war 
and genocide.  The lack of resources is acute; training and funding 
for law enforcement and courts are wholly inadequate; corruption is 
a major problem; and the overall level of human resources - trained 
and competent people - is still greatly affected by the legacy of 
decades of civil war.  Government resources for victim assistance 
are virtually non-existent and must be augmented by assistance from 
international organizations and foreign and domestic NGOs.  The 
government has also been slow in defining custody issues pertaining 
to victims and witnesses taken from brothels, as well as the legal 
authority of NGOs in the process.  In February 2007, the five 
responsible government ministries signed an agreement with NGOs 
providing victims assistance that established guidelines for 
cooperation on these issues. 
 
Observers agree that law enforcement and judicial prosecution 
represent government weaknesses in anti-trafficking efforts.  While 
some NGOs report good cooperation with government authorities on TIP 
cases in Phnom Penh, there are complaints regarding police officials 
at the provincial levels.  In September 2006, an American citizen 
charged with pedophilia was released on bail from jail in 
Sihanoukville under questionable circumstances. 
 
Donor countries have continued to press the government on 
anti-corruption efforts and the passage of an anti-corruption law 
that is consistent with international standards.  The draft law 
remains inadequate and the government has missed multiple deadlines 
for implementation.  Donors have also pushed for the establishment 
of an independent anti-corruption commission.  On August 26, 2006, 
the government established an Anti-Corruption Body to combat 
corruption but it remains largely inactive. 
 
The Supreme Council of Magistracy has the power to 
appoint and remove judges, but does not use this power 
except in rare situations, and there is evidence that disciplinary 
actions are often politically motivated.  The SCM also does not have 
investigative resources to respond to allegations of corruption. 
The MOJ rotates judicial personnel every four years in the hope that 
the movements will lessen opportunities for corruption. 
 
Government anti-TIP Monitoring Efforts 
-------------------------------------- 
 
1D.  To what extent does the government systematically monitor its 
anti-trafficking efforts (on all fronts - prosecution, prevention 
and victim protection) and periodically make available, publicly or 
privately and directly or through regional/international 
organizations, its assessments of these anti-trafficking efforts? 
 
 
PHNOM PENH 00000350  006 OF 007 
 
 
The Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans, and Youth 
Rehabilitation (MOSAVY) has a database to keep track of repatriated 
victims and the Ministry of Interior has a database to track police 
intelligence, investigations, and arrests of sex crime offenders. 
The Ministry of Justice, with assistance from Asia Regional 
Cooperation to Prevent People Trafficking (ARCPPT), started 
collecting information in late 2004 for a database of trafficking 
court cases, which was expected to be available in late 2005.  The 
database is still not operational in 2007, and UNICEF has taken over 
the project.  Information included in all of these databases is 
often not public and is not consolidated in one location.  The 
Cambodian National Council for Children (CNCC) under MOSAVY plans a 
consolidated database to include secondary data from other 
government databases as well as NGOs.  CNCC is in the process of 
developing this database, but a timeline for its operation is not 
yet available.  At present, the Cambodian government does not issue 
assessments of its efforts to combat human trafficking. 
 
Government Acknowledgment of TIP 
-------------------------------- 
 
2A. Does the government acknowledge that trafficking is a problem in 
that country?  If not, why not? 
 
The Cambodian government openly acknowledges that trafficking is a 
serious problem, particularly the sex trade involving women and 
children.  As noted earlier, the Prime Minister in March 2006 spoke 
out against TIP and called for greater government efforts to combat 
the problem. 
 
In December 2006 at the launch of a new U.S.-funded Asia Foundation 
counter trafficking initiative, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister 
of Interior Sar Kheng committed the government to working with civil 
society to combating TIP. 
 
In February 2007, the Prime Minister urged the Supreme Council of 
the Magistrate to investigate the Appeals Court decision that 
released the people convicted of trafficking at Chhay Hour II.  He 
also urged the Ministry of Justice to review the penal code and the 
draft anti-TIP law to ensure that penalties for human trafficking 
were severe enough for the heinous nature of the crime.  In 
addition, he also urged the government to work to ensure that the 
rights of Cambodians working in foreign countries be respected. 
 
Government Agency Involvement in anti-TIP Efforts 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
2B. Which government agencies are involved in anti-trafficking 
efforts and which agency, if any, has the lead? 
 
Several ministries and agencies in the Cambodian government have 
responsibility for combating trafficking in persons, including:  the 
Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans, and Youth Rehabilitation; the 
Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training, the Ministry of Interior 
(which oversees the National Police); the Ministry of Women's 
Affairs; the Ministry of Justice; the Ministry of Tourism; the 
Ministry of Information; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and 
International Cooperation; and the inter-ministerial Cambodian 
National Council for Children, which has a Sub-Commission on 
Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation of Children.  Since the summer 
of 2006, the Ministry of Women's Affairs is the lead ministry on 
human trafficking issues. 
 
Government-run anti-TIP Information/Education Campaigns 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
2C. Are there or have there been government-run anti-trafficking 
information or education campaigns?  If so, 
briefly describe the campaign(s), including their objectives and 
effectiveness.  Do these campaigns target potential trafficking 
victims and/or the demand for trafficking (e.g. "clients" of 
prostitutes or beneficiaries of forced labor). 
 
Working with NGOs, the Cambodian government implemented a national 
campaign to raise public awareness regarding the dangers of human 
trafficking through posters, television and radio campaigns, and the 
use of traditional Cambodian theater.  The Ministry of Women's 
Affairs, with USAID funding and assistance from International 
Organization (IOM) for Migration, conducted a nationwide information 
campaign to increase awareness about trafficking.  IOM's impact 
assessment report showed that the campaign has made its way to the 
people -- people understand more about trafficking and know what to 
do when the problem arises.   The project ended in September 2006, 
but the Ministry continues to fund its radio campaign focused on 
women's empowerment and raising awareness of trafficking. 
 
PHNOM PENH 00000350  007 OF 007 
 
 
 
The Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans, and Youth 
Rehabilitation continued to work closely with UNICEF and local NGOs 
to set up community-based networks aimed at conducting early 
intervention programs in Prey Veng and Svay Rieng provinces. 
Community volunteers are recruited to help identify children at risk 
and bring their cases to the commune level for local protection. 
More difficult cases are forwarded to the district level. 
 
The Ministry of Interior's anti-TIP police continued to conduct its 
education campaigns to school children about the risks of 
trafficking and their rights under the law.  During 2006, the police 
conducted 126 information campaigns for approximately 20,000 
students in Siem Reap and 15 campaigns for more than 3000 students 
in Phnom Penh. 
 
The Ministry of Tourism (MOT), in collaboration with World Vision, 
has produced pamphlets and advertisements for tourist brochures and 
maps that warn tourists of the penalties for engaging in child sex. 
The MOT also provided workshops to hospitality industry owners and 
staff on how to identify and intervene in cases of trafficking or 
sexual exploitation of children.  Some of the more active 
organizations involved in general public awareness campaigns 
regarding trafficking have been UNICEF, IOM, and the Women's Media 
Center.  The Ministry of Tourism also supported the Child Program 
which builds a network of people to protect children at risk of 
trafficking and sexual abuse in the main tourist centers of Phnom 
Penh, Sihanoukville, and Siem Riep. 
 
CWCC ran television spots targeting the demand side of trafficking 
by addressing male behavior toward prostitutes and educating male 
clients to respect the rights of beer promotion girls.  UNICEF also 
funded television spots educating the public about the danger of 
trafficking and associated penalties. 
 
CAMPBELL