UN rapporteur highlights scam related human rights issues
Tom Andrews (inset), UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, has questioned whether enough is being done to support trafficking victims linked to scam operations. Supplied
The UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia has questioned why allegations against elites who are reportedly linked to scam operations do not appear to have been investigated more thoroughly, even as he called for more work to be done on eradicating online scams activities from the Kingdom.
Special rapporteur Tom Andrews held a press conference today, July 31, to discuss his first mission to Cambodia. He warned that the proliferation of transnational cybercrime networks in Cambodia constitutes one of the greatest human rights challenges facing the country.
He noted that credible reports indicate that 100,000 or more people have been trafficked to Cambodia and compelled to carry out cyberscams. Government officials informed him that approximately 300,000 people involved in scam operations have voluntarily left the country.
“Trafficked workers have been held in massive scam compounds, often located on the grounds of casinos, hotels or resorts. Scam compounds often resemble prisons, with iron-barred windows, tall fences topped by razor wire and gates protected by heavily armed guards,” he said.
“Scam operators use torture, solitary confinement, food deprivation and other forms of punishment and coercion to extract the compliance of trafficked workers and ensure they meet performance targets,” he added.
Andrews said he had met with victims who detail how they were lured into Cambodia with promises of well-paying jobs in administration or customer service. He also met with several Cambodian senior officials in charge of combatting the crimes.
“Over the past year, the Cambodian government has taken some important steps to crack down on the cyberscam industry under the coordination of the Commission for Combating Online Scams (CCTC) headed by the Prime Minister,” he said.
He noted that Chhay Sinarith, head of the CCTC Secretariat, told him that authorities have targeted and closed more than 600 scam locations and that approximately 3,000 scam operators face criminal proceedings. Authorities have reportedly revoked or suspended the licenses of 29 casinos.
“The government’s actions over the past year have severely disrupted scam networks in Cambodia. However, researchers, government officials and others told me that these networks continue to operate in Cambodia, in some cases by changing locations and modes of operations,” he said.
Andrews highlighted that he was also told that corruption has undermined law enforcement actions, with scam operators often being tipped off prior to raids. He raised two primary concerns about the issues
“First, I asked why, despite the ongoing crackdown, the government has yet to take action against senior Cambodian officials and other powerful individuals credibly linked to cyberscam operations.
“The prime minister pointed to actions taken against some high-ranking officials while emphasising the right to due process of those implicated in criminal activities. He highlighted that a foreign sanctions designation should not dictate the operation of Cambodian legal processes,” he said.
“I emphasised that in order to root out the industry, it is imperative that the government address criminal connections to business and political elites. Second, I expressed concerns about the desperate situation of those released from scam compounds,” he continued.
According to Andrews, senior Cambodian government officials, including the prime minister, indicated that Cambodia lacked the capacity to screen those released from scam compounds and was simply focused on returning them to their home countries.
He urged the relevant authorities to ensure that individuals released from scam compounds get more attention and care, such as providing assistance or identifying trafficking victims.
“I am concerned that there are potentially thousands of trafficking victims currently in desperate situations in Cambodia who are receiving little to no support from the Cambodian government, their home countries, or humanitarian agencies,” he said.
In the first 6 months of the current anti-scam campaign, Ministry of Interior authorities raided nearly 30,000 locations, detained more than 2,000 foreigners involved in online scams, and fined property owners nearly 8 billion riel, according to Touch Sokhak, spokesperson for the ministry.
He said during the operations, competent authorities fined the owners and managers of locations operating in violation of Sub-Decree No. 03, a total of 7.763 billion riel, almost $2 million.
-Phnom Penh Post-
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