US Urges Cambodia to do more to fight trafficking in persons

By Soy Sophea

The U.S. Embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires, Piper A. W. Campbell has urged the Cambodian government to do more to fight human trafficking, despite the fact that a State Department report in 2007 placed Cambodia in Tier 2 in combating human trafficking.

The remark was made at a joint press conference at the Cambodian Ministry of Interior on June 5.

Mr. Campbell stated, “I commend Prime Minister Hun Sen and the Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng - the Head of the National Task Force on Human Trafficking - and everyone else involved with the Royal Government of Cambodia's efforts to combat human trafficking, for their achievements over the past year. These achievements would not have been possible without a strong commitment at the highest levels of the government, and we look forward to further cooperation, addressing this serious problem.”

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sar Kheng, told the conference that he appreciated the evaluation on human trafficking, and he said the government planned to do more in the future to curb the illegal practice.

The 170-country Trafficking in Persons Report, compiled with the input of over 170 other countries, is mandated by the U.S. Congress and is released annually at this time of year. It is the most comprehensive worldwide report on the efforts of governments to combat severe forms of trafficking in persons. Its findings are intended to raise global awareness and spur countries to take effective actions to counter trafficking in persons.

The United States estimates that each year, approximately 800,000 people are trafficked across national borders, which does not include the millions trafficked within their own countries. Human trafficking victims can be subjected to labor exploitation or sexual exploitation, or both.