Synopsis: Permanent Vice-Chair of the National Committee for Counter Trafficking Chou Bun Eng challenges Washington’s decision to keep Cambodia on Tier 3 for a fifth year, calling for a balanced assessment.
A senior official responsible for combating human trafficking has questioned the United States (US) decision to keep the Kingdom on its Tier 3 trafficking blacklist for the fifth consecutive year, criticising the report for lacking balance in its assessment of the country’s efforts and failing to adequately recognise progress made.
In the report which was released last week, the US Department of State concluded that the Kingdom’s government does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking in persons and “is not making significant efforts to do so.”
The authors linked human trafficking in the Kingdom to online scam operations, and like the previous years, criticise the government for not taking enough action against “some” of its officials and advisers who have financially benefitted from the trafficking of victims in scam centres and protected the criminals who run the operations.
Despite the nationwide scam crackdowns personally led by Prime Minister Hun Manet since mid-2025, the report said that law enforcement is selective and rarely sees prosecution against complicit officials.
It raised the issue of the sub-standard services for former scam workers, particularly in screening them to identify whether they were victims of trafficking. As a result, the government reported identifying fewer trafficking victims than in the previous reporting period, the report reads.
“Victim services were inadequate to handle the significant increase in potential victims fleeing scam centres, and authorities reportedly inappropriately penalised victims solely for unlawful acts, particularly immigration violations, committed as a direct result of being trafficked,” the report said.
Ministry of Interior Secretary of State and Permanent Vice-Chairwoman of the National Committee for Counter Trafficking (NCCT), Chou Bun Eng told Khmer Times that this year’s report from the US Department of State still lacks balance in reflecting both positive and negative aspects, particularly in recognising and encouraging the efforts being made.
“Not all allegations are wrong, but neither are they all correct. We want reporting that reflects the truth so that misunderstandings can be avoided,” she said.
“Looking at the Royal Government of Cambodia as a whole, we can clearly see what we have been doing.”
From a positive perspective, the political commitment to eliminating technology-related or online crimes, which are connected to numerous other offences, including human trafficking, forms the foundation of the government’s efforts, even though we have not yet achieved the expected results, Bun Eng argued.
“What we have done is implement every available strategy, including education, prevention, investigation, suppression, the clearing and closure of identified criminal locations, whether large or small, and action against criminal groups,” she said.
“Officials implicated in these crimes have been referred to the courts, while additional legislation has been developed.”
Designated officials are providing education and training to authorities at all levels to strengthen monitoring and the suppression of clandestine operations, including mobile criminal operations, Bun Eng noted.
“We are strengthening border management and continuously monitoring and assessing changes in criminal activities. Our work has not stopped.”
According to Bun Eng, the government became aware of and identified criminal activities during 2022 and 2023, following the COVID-19 pandemic, and has introduced measures and plans to suppress all forms of human trafficking and sought effective responses.
“However, online scams have spread extremely rapidly. Advances in technology have also drawn people from various backgrounds into these criminal networks,” she explained.
“Our competent authorities have been working to suppress these activities and clearly identify human trafficking and other related offences, including determining the extent to which they are interconnected.”
Bun Eng added that authorities have introduced directives and investigation and suppression plans across all capital and provincial administrations, with regular monitoring.
“Victims have been assisted through appropriate procedures, including arrangements for their return to their home countries in continued cooperation with the countries concerned,” she said.
Bun Eng echoed emphasis by the Kingdom’s leaders that online criminal activities have increased significantly across countries in the region, not just domestically.
“Each country has been working hard to identify measures to suppress these crimes. Consequently, criminal groups and victims have been moving from one country to another through various means,” she said, adding that so far no country has declared that it has successfully eliminated technology-related crime.
Bun Eng recognised that there are officials who are involved in or benefit from these crimes.
“The Royal Government acknowledges this and has continuously conducted investigations, made arrests and taken legal action. However, I can say that some allegations have not yet been sufficiently substantiated,” she said.
“Such accusations can discourage those who are genuinely working hard. They can also mislead people who are unfamiliar with the situation or have not been involved in these efforts.”
She stressed that NCCT, her institution, has been cooperating with partner organisations throughout the country at both national and subnational levels to combat human trafficking in all forms.
“Through this cooperation, we have developed a clear understanding of the difficulties and challenges involved. We jointly seek solutions and draw lessons from our experiences to understand the scale of the problem,” she explained.
According to Bun Eng, many non-governmental organisations have been and continue to work alongside the government, which contradict the report.
Bun Eng argued that baseless accusations may inadvertently encourage offenders, because when those working to combat crime are accused, the criminals themselves may become emboldened.
“For example, those of us working within the National Committee in our capacity as officials responsible for combating human trafficking have consistently demonstrated our commitment and reminded all relevant sectors of the need to work together. Yet, we have instead found ourselves named in reports or allegations associated with the very crimes we are fighting,” she said.
“This is extremely unfair. We want assessments to be conducted accurately and fairly.”
Royal Academy of Cambodia policy analyst Seun Sam said the US decision to place Cambodia on its blacklist over online scams indicates that the Kingdom needs to intensify its efforts, despite having already reported numerous crackdowns and detainees across the country.
