VZCZCXRO6771
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHPF #0261/01 1130609
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 230609Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0626
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PHNOM PENH 000261 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP, AND DRL 
USAID FOR ASIA BUREAU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREL KWMN KTIP SOCI CB
SUBJECT: CAMBODIA: 2009 1ST QUARTER REPORT ON TRAFFICKING IN 
PERSONS 
 
Ref: (A)PHNOM PENH 145 
 (B)PHNOM PENH 206 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  During the first quarter of 2009, Cambodian 
police arrested six persons on human trafficking charges and four on 
procurement of prostitution charges in connection with two cases in 
which three rescued prostitutes were under age 18.  Police reported 
that seven foreign pedophiles were arrested and 17 victims were 
rescued in connection with pedophile cases.  During the same period, 
the Phnom Penh Municipal Court convicted one foreign pedophile for 
the purchase of child prostitution.  Police rescued 32 victims of 
trafficking and reported that they were returned to their families 
or were referred to NGO victim shelters (Ref A and B).  End 
Summary. 
 
National Task Force Updates 
--------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The National Task Force (NTF) began an administrative 
reform effort during the first quarter of 2009.  The High Level 
Working Group (HLWG) secretariat, which is now operating out of the 
Ministry of Interior (MOI) and chaired by Secretary of State Chou 
Bun Eng, held several discussions on the possibility of merging the 
NTF with the HLWG into a single unit.  The idea was welcomed by most 
of the key stakeholders, as there was a sense that the merger will 
give more leverage to the anti-trafficking initiatives within the 
government.  The new HLWG/NTF structure will integrate the previous 
structures of the HLWG and NTF, and will increase the number of 
working groups within the new HLWG structure to six working groups: 
prevention, protection, rescue and raid, prosecution, child rights, 
and MOU implementation and monitoring.  The revisions in the 
positions of Chair and Vice-chairs as well as of the members of each 
working group are underway.  The vice chair for each of the working 
groups will be from civil society.  The new proposed structure 
envisions more involvement and participation from all relevant 
ministries.  A final decision on merging the HLWG/NTF is expected in 
the second quarter of 2009. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The NTF continues to work with civil society 
representatives and different ministries to develop a coordinated 
data collection system in the areas of protection, prevention and 
prosecution in order to improve the quality and accuracy of TIP 
data.  During the first quarter of 2009, the NTF held several 
meetings with NGO coalitions and ministry agencies to ensure common 
understanding of the 15 agreed indicators of victim information 
uder the rubric of "protection," including victim age, when they 
were trafficked, how much salary they were promised before they were 
trafficked, and how much salary they received during their work. 
NTF representatives also trained NGO staff and participating 
government officials in the correct completion of forms that gather 
data on these 15 indicators.  During the same period, NTF met with 
the Provincial Task Force (PTF) and District of Social Affairs in 
Svay Rieng to discuss the NTF indicators on data collection for the 
protection component because of the high incidence of cross-border 
trafficking between Cambodia and Vietnam from that province. 
 
Police Activity 
--------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) During the first quarter of 2009, Cambodian police 
reported the arrest of six individuals on human trafficking charges 
and four on procurement of prostitution charges in connection with 
two cases in which rescued prostitutes were under age 18.  Police 
rescued 32 victims of trafficking and reported that they were 
returned to their families or were referred to NGO victim shelters 
(Ref A and B). 
 
¶5.  (SBU) On March 25, police from the Anti-Human Trafficking and 
Juvenile Protection (AHTJP) Department of the national police 
arrested 39-year-old Kong Sak Bon, male and 36-year-old Yoak Un, 
female, for operating a brothel where two underage victims were 
found.  Police reported that a prosecutor at Phnom Penh Municipal 
Court charged the perpetrators with procurement of prostitution 
under article 27 "Aggravated Procurement of Prostitution" and the 
two perpetrators are currently in pre-trial detention.  Police 
reported that the victims were returned to their families. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) On March 26, Banteay Meanchey provincial police arrested 
43-year-old Srun Touch, male, for trafficking two victims from 
Banteay Meanchey province, aged 15 and 21, to Thailand.  The victims 
were persuaded by a 25-year-old stranger, who appeared in the 
victims' village, to work in Thailand as housemaids.  The stranger 
brought the victims to meet one recruiter, named Plork, in Poipet. 
Police reported that they are searching for more information about 
the recruiter and will seek an arrest warrant from the provincial 
court.  Perpetrator Srun Touch told the police that Plork ordered 
 
PHNOM PENH 00000261  002 OF 003 
 
 
him to bring the two victims across the border to Thailand.  The 
victims reported that they paid 2,500 Bath (USD 70) each to the 
recruiters as fees and were arrested by Thai police on their arrival 
and returned to Cambodia.  The victims were interviewed with other 
returnees by a working group made up of two police officers from 
AHTJP department, two officers from Banteay Meanchey provincial 
police, two officers from O Chrov district police, and one officer 
from the Immigration police.  Through the interview, police learned 
that Srun Touch had guaranteed the victims' entrance to Thailand, 
and that if they were returned to Cambodia, they were to call him 
for assistance in returning to Thailand for free.  Using this 
information, the victims were asked to call Srun Touch, and police 
arrested him when he came to pick up the victims.  Police reported 
that a prosecutor of Banteay Meanchey provincial court charged Srun 
Touch under Article 18 "Cross-border Transportation" (the act of 
bringing a person across a border) and that the perpetrator is 
currently in pre-trial detention.  Police reported that the victims 
were returned to their families. 
 
Court Activity 
-------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) On March 19, Phnom Penh Municipal Court (PPMC) convicted 
40-year-old American national Jason Todd Baumbach, male, under the 
new law on suppression of human trafficking and sexual exploitation 
article 34 "Purchase of Child Prostitution" for the purchase of a 
13-year old for child prostitution.  Jason Todd Baumbach was 
sentenced to 13 years in prison and was ordered to pay 20 million 
riel (USD 5,000) to the victim as compensation. 
 
Other Activity 
--------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) During the first quarter, IJM carried out one successful 
operation in the notorious Svay Pak neighborhood in Phnom Penh and 
rescued one victim.  Police arrested three perpetrators during the 
operation. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) The NGO Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association 
(ADHOC) reported that on January 12, it received a complaint filed 
by the family of a nine-year-old victim named Khiev Socheat against 
23-year-old perpetrator Yin Sareth, female, for the attempted 
trafficking of the victim to Vietnam for begging.  ADHOC reported 
that the perpetrator gave some money to the victim and tried to 
persuade the victim to go to Vietnam to beg, but was not successful. 
 A few days later, the perpetrator came to the victim's house and 
wanted to take the victim to Vietnam, but the victim's grandmother 
did not allow the perpetrator to do so and filed a complaint in the 
provincial court with assistance from ADHOC.  ADHOC reported that 
the perpetrator escaped after learning that the victim's family 
filed a complaint with the court.  Police confirmed that they are 
searching for the perpetrator. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) On February 26, ADHOC reported that LICADO assisted four 
labor trafficking victims aged between 20 and 28 years, and helped 
them return to Cambodia from Malaysia through Phnom Penh 
International Airport.  Unidentified recruiters trafficked the four 
victims to Thailand on different occasions to work as fishermen with 
a promised salary between 4,000 and 7,000 Baht.  The four victims 
worked on boats in the Gulf of Thailand near Malaysia for between 
five and eight months without receiving any payment.  The four 
victims escaped to Malaysia and were arrested by Malaysian police 
and put in detention for between two and three months before they 
were assisted by LICADHO, in cooperation with the Cambodian embassy 
in Malaysia, to return home.  The victims filed complaints against 
the recruiters and police are investigating the case. 
 
¶11.  (SBU) On February 26, ADHOC in Koh Kong province received 10 
trafficking victims, aged between 13 and 17 years old, from Koh Kong 
provincial police.  ADHOC reported that the victims were trafficked 
from Prey Veng province by two perpetrators named Neang Run, aged 
44, male, and Long Lux, aged 47, male.  ADHOC reported that police 
arrested the perpetrators in Koh Kong before they trafficked the 
victims to Thailand.  Police reported that the perpetrators are now 
in pre-trial detention and were charged with cross-border human 
trafficking.  The victims were sent to the Healthcare Center for 
Children (HCC) for victim assistance. 
 
¶12.  (SBU) On January 19, ADHOC in Koh Kong province received four 
trafficking victims who were trafficked by unidentified recruiters 
named Vy and Thy.  The two recruiters promised to find jobs for the 
victims in Thailand for high salaries.  The victims paid the 
recruiters USD 50 each.  They worked on a fishing boat in Thailand 
for six days in Trat province and after they realized that the 
recruiters had left the boat, the victims escaped when the boat 
docked.  They returned to Cambodia by themselves through Khaov Vong 
gate and came to ADHOC to file a complaint against the recruiters. 
Police confirmed that they are investigating the case and the 
 
PHNOM PENH 00000261  003 OF 003 
 
 
victims returned home. 
 
¶13.  (SBU) On January 23, ADHOC in Koh Kong province reported that 
they received one victim of human trafficking who was trafficked by 
an unidentified recruiter named Huy.  ADHOC reported that the victim 
paid 2,500 Baht (USD 70) to the recruiter for a job.  After working 
in Thailand for around one month without pay, the victim decided to 
move to a new location within Thailand.  He got lost on the way and 
was arrested by Thai police and put in detention for 15 days before 
he was sent back by Thai police to Cambodia through Cham Yeam gate 
(Trat - Koh Kong).  ADHOC reported that the victim filed a complaint 
against the recruiter.  Police confirmed they are investigating the 
case.  ADHOC reported that the victim was sent to HCC for victim 
assistance. 
 
¶14.  (SBU) On January 23, ADHOC in Koh Kong province reported that 
Thai police from an unidentified unit handed over to Koh Kong 
provincial police a trafficking victim named Sen Sry who was 
trafficked by an unidentified recruiter named Tuy.  The victim was 
persuaded by Tuy to work in Trat province in Thailand as 
construction worker.  ADHOC reported that the victim worked for two 
months without pay. When the victim demanded payment, the 
construction boss alerted Thai local police that the victim was in 
the country illegally.   The victim was arrested and detained for 13 
days in Thailand.  ADHOC reported that the victim lodged a complaint 
against the recruiter.  Police confirmed they are investigating the 
case.  ADHOC reported that the victim was sent to HCC for victim 
assistance. 
 
¶15.  (SBU) During the first quarter, Cambodian Defenders Project 
(CDP) received two new cases: one related to "unlawful removal with 
purpose" involved a 13-year-old victim; the second case related to 
"procurement of prostitution" included four victims under age 18. 
CDP provided legal support and lawyers for the victims. 
 
¶16.  (SBU) During the first quarter, World Hope International (WHI) 
received six rescued victims of sex trafficking aged between eight 
and 16 years old.  Of the six victims, there were three Cambodian, 
one Vietnamese, and two Khmer-Vietnamese. 
 
¶17.  (SBU) During the first quarter, Legal Support for Children and 
Women (LSCW) provided legal assistance to two female victims aged 16 
and 19 in Sihanouk province.  The two victims were persuaded by a 
Vietnamese recruiter to come to Cambodia for a job.  The victims 
were trafficked to Cambodia and sold to one brothel in Sihanoukville 
where they were sexually exploited.  Police raided the brothel and 
arrested a 23-year-old Vietnamese national perpetrator named Foeung, 
female, and charged her with procurement of prostitution.  LSCW 
reported that the two victims were sent to WHI for victim 
assistance.  Police confirmed that the perpetrator is currently in 
pre-trial detention. 
 
¶18.  (SBU) During the first quarter, AFESIP received seven new 
victims aged between 17 and 22 into its shelter who were rescued 
during an operation on  January 20 carried out by Banteay Meanchey 
provincial police in one brothel.  Police confirmed that they 
arrested two perpetrators who are currently in pre-trial detention. 
 
RODLEY