VZCZCXRO1188
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHPF #0179 0501026
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 191026Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS PHNOM PENH 000179 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, G/TIP, AND EAP/RSP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KJUS KWMN CB
SUBJECT: CAMBODIAN ANTI-TIP LAW PASSED AND PROMULGATED 
 
REF: 07 STATE 122413 
 
¶1. (U) Post is pleased to pass on good news from the Royal 
Government of Cambodia:  Cambodia's anti-trafficking in 
persons law was promulgated on February 15 and went into 
effect immediately.  Passage of the anti-TIP law was one of 
five high-priority measures for Cambodia to move to a more 
favorable tier placement according to the Cambodia Tier 2 
Watch List Action Plan (reftel).  Cambodia was recognized as 
making "significant progress" in the recent official interim 
assessment for 2007 Tier 2 Watch List countries partly due to 
the fact that the law had moved to the Council of Ministers 
in August 2007 and to the National Assembly in November 2007. 
 
 
¶2.  (U) The new anti-TIP law is a comprehensive law 
containing provisions criminalizing all forms of trafficking, 
including trafficking through debt bondage.  Ministry of 
Justice Secretary of State Chan Sotheavy held primary 
responsibility within the ministry for drafting the law.  She 
explained punishments proscribed by the law: buying and/or 
selling of a human being is punishable by two to five years 
in prison; human trafficking with the intent to exploit the 
victim is punishable by seven to 15 years; and for crimes 
involving aggravating circumstances, such as child victims or 
perpetrators who are government officials, 15 to 20 years. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Chan Sotheavy stated that the MOJ is currently 
seeking funds to disseminate the law to judges, prosecutors, 
law enforcement officials, and to the general public.  The 
USAID-supported C-TIP program has plans to work with the 
National Task Force to disseminate, and generally provide 
exposure to, the law among RGC officials, legal aid 
providers, and shelter employees over the coming months.  A 
local UNICEF representative stated that UNICEF has plans to 
support publication of the law for dissemination purposes but 
UNICEF has not yet received official word that the law was 
promulgated.  Promulgation of the law has not yet been widely 
publicized. 
MUSSOMELI