Overview

Human trafficking is a global problem. As with many other countries in the world, Cambodia is affected by this issue, being a country of origin, destination and transit for human trafficking. This phenomenon is relatively new to Cambodia. While isolated instances of trafficking can be dated back approximately to 1970, this crime was virtually unknown until the 1990's. Since then, trafficking in Cambodia has increased markedly facilitated by many factors including a growing sex trade arising from the arrival of UNTAC (United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia ), uneven economic development from an influx of foreign currency, economic liberalization, the Asian economic crisis, and increased tourism.

Internally, Cambodian women and children are trafficked from the country to cities or towns, mainly for sexual exploitation. Many trafficked persons believe they are being recruited for other purposes such as domestic work. Unfortunately, these victims are deceived or, in a smaller number of cases, kidnapped and forced into sexual slavery, living under the control of brothel-owners. Vietnamese women, girls and boys are also trafficked into, within and across Cambodia for sexual exploitation.

Cross-border trafficking out of Cambodia is also very serious. Many Cambodian women, children and men are trafficked into Thailand and to more distant places such as Malaysia , Macao and Taiwan . Women and girls are commonly trafficked for sexual exploitation or domestic work, children for begging and/or street selling, and men for fisheries and construction work. Women, men and children are also trafficked for other forms of forced labour including sweatshops and farm work. Common characteristics of trafficking into forced or exploited labour include situations of: little or no pay debt bondage; false promises about salary and working conditions which are not realized after arrival; physical punishment and torture; extremely long working hours; sexual abuse; due wages withheld for all kinds of reasons; and no control over daily life (such as inability to leave the premises of work). Sometimes, workers are forced to take drugs to enable them to work long hours to increase production.

Finally, baby trafficking has also occurred in Cambodia. While there are orphans in Cambodia due to HIV/AIDS, the large amount of money that unsuspecting parents from Western countries are willing to provide to facilitate the adoption of babies from Cambodia has unfortunately created a market for non-orphaned babies. Direct kidnapping is rare as recruiters have various means of persuading vulnerable families into giving away their babies. Current actions by the Cambodian Government have greatly curtailed this trade, however.

Many factors contribute to trafficking. Poverty is one of the most important of these factors. Women and girls, in particular, are vulnerable to trafficking because viable employment opportunities for them are scarce. Resolving this problem requires global cooperation, including fairer trade policies and reductions of agricultural subsidies in developed countries. Other factors range from lack of education to lack of opportunities for safe migration. There has been an increase in organized criminal networks, with many perpetrators continuing to operate with impunity. However, it is also known that parents, relatives, friends, lovers, and neighbors may get involved in this crime. Trafficking is therefore a multi-sectoral problem and requires many different agencies to become involved.

The Royal Government of Cambodia recognizes human trafficking as an urgent issue and is determined to address this problem in a comprehensive and multi-sectoral manner. Highlights of the response to date are outlined below.

Policy Framework

A Five-Year Plan Against Trafficking and the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (2000-2004) was launched by the Cambodian National Council for Children (CNCC), an inter-ministerial coordinating body, which brings together the key government agencies working on these issues. The Plan was officially adopted by the Government of Cambodia through Declaration No. 1, dated 6 April 2000 outlining the respective responsibilities of relevant Ministries in its implementation and urging government officials at all levels to take measures accordingly. This National Plan reflected the Government's strong commitment to addressing both trafficking and the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) and the relationship between the two issues. However, as it only focused on children, the Government recognises that additional measures are also necessary . A new Five-Year National Plan on Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation is currently being drafted which addresses all forms of human trafficking in addition to the exploitation of children. A participatory workshop has been scheduled for mid-May 2005 to review this draft. This new Five-Year National Plan will be implemented from 2005-2010.

Cambodia has developed the National Poverty Reduction Strategy (NPRS), which has laid out key priorities to be implemented over the next three years (2003-2005) in order to meet poverty reduction goals. Human trafficking is regarded as one of the critical social issues and, as an indication of its importance, has been incorporated into the NPRS. Activities include conducting research and awareness raising, integrating vulnerable people into income generation programmes, establishing more shelters, and expanding community-based child protection networks and preventative measures to support street children.

To supplement these initiatives, the Ministry of Women's Affairs (MoWA) and the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSVY), assigned by the government to cope with social issues, have respectively developed their own plans to combat trafficking and other related issues (as outlined below). The Ministries also have responsibility for making recommendations to the government to issue other necessary policies to combat the trafficking problem.

Cooperation between different agencies is an important aspect of Cambodia 's response. Currently such cooperation takes place informally but the possibility is being considered of an internal Memorandum of Understanding to define more formally the role of specific agencies in responding to trafficking.

International Policy Framework

Other important agreements to which Cambodia is a signatory include the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) which ensures state protection for non-citizens and which prohibits slavery and related practices, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), both of which were signed in May 1992. Cambodia has not yet ratified the UN Convention concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, pending clarification of one or two outstanding points. The National Assembly has scheduled to discuss this International Convention in the near future . In the meantime, however, the Government is using existing laws to demonstrate its commitment to this important issue.

Bilateral and Regional Policy Framework

In conjunction with the national and international policy framework, Cambodia is working with countries in the region to establish bi-lateral and regional policy to combat human trafficking. In May 2003, Cambodia signed a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Thailand for 'Eliminating Trafficking in Children and Women and Assisting Victims of Trafficking'. Key elements include: cooperation on harmonization of legislation; cooperation on border control, including apprehension of traffickers; procedures for return and reintegration of trafficking victims; and establishment of monitoring mechanisms. The MOU between countries builds on existing close cooperation with regard to repatriation and reintegration of trafficked victims from Thailand to Cambodia . Such an MOU is unprecedented anywhere in the world and could represent a potential model of cooperation for the region on trafficking issues. One weakness is that, due to the gaps in the Thai legislation, trafficking in men could not be included in the MOU at the time of signing. Cambodia hopes that this can be rectified in the near future .

In addition, contemporary thinking on trafficking highlights the importance of developing migration mechanisms that match labour market realities. Recognizing this, Cambodia would like to highlight that it has also signed an MOU on the 'Cooperation in the Employment of Workers' with Thailand .

Bilateral agreements on trafficking, similar to that with Thailand , are currently being negotiated with Vietnam and Malaysia . In addition, in the broader area of law enforcement, Cambodia has extradition agreements with China , Lao PDR and Thailand .

Cambodia is also working collectively with other countries in the region to combat human trafficking. During a Ministerial-level meeting of the Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative against Trafficking (COMMIT) on 29 October 2004, the Governments of Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam came together in Yangon, Myanmar to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to combat human trafficking which they had been working towards for over a year. Additionally, Cambodia has also signed a Framework Agreement with the other countries in the ASEAN region on 'ASEAN Cooperation in Tourism', which includes a general provision on the deterrence of exploitation of women and children.

Prevention and Protection Programmes

During the past years, several Ministries have become involved in developing counter-trafficking measures. MoWA is mandated by the government to promote the status of women in the country. Its main role is to coordinate and advocate efforts that put the concerns of women, children and veterans into the development agenda and mainstream gender into national policies and programmes. As such, MoWA programmes are geared towards: providing input towards legislation, policies and strategies to penalize traffickers; advocating for improved law enforcement; generating public awareness of trafficking and support for its prevention, and providing support for victims and survivors.

In 2000, MoWA launched a three-year project on the 'Prevention of All Forms of Trafficking in Women and Children in Cambodia ' in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Government of Finland. The initial phase of the project consisted of three components including legal literacy, an information dissemination and awareness raising campaign, and policy advocacy. The second phase oriented the project towards both immediate action and long-term capacity building within the framework of MoWA's strategic five-year plan. The second phase built on the success of phase one and, as a result of lessons learnt, added a fourth pilot component – financial support and vocational training.

Early in 2003, MoWA commenced another new three-year project in cooperation with IOM with the support from USAID. The project is entitled 'Information Campaign to Combat Trafficking in Women and Children in Cambodia ' and also has three components. It provides information to vulnerable groups on the dangers and consequences of trafficking and possibilities for regular migration (including how to access regular services), assists in developing community-based networks including a database on household information concerning human trafficking, and undertakes policy and advocacy action on counter trafficking and migration issues.

Other MoWA activities to raise awareness include high-profile radio and television programmes posters, and the promotion of gender sensitivity and human rights. MoWA's Economic Family Development programme has also provided small credit and technical support to vulnerable and poor families to support alternative livelihoods in 17 provinces and municipalities in the country. Finally, MoWA has cooperated with several foreign embassies in attempting to prosecute foreign perpetrators of sex crimes with children.

In 2001, the National Council for Women was established with the aim to - inter alia - assist the Royal Government of Cambodia to monitor the implementation of various international conventions and assess and propose suggestions on national reports related to the implementation of the Convention to Eliminate all Forms of Discriminations Against Women in Cambodia (CEDAW) and the situation of women, to be approved by the Royal Government and submitted to the United Nations. Furthermore, the National Council for Women assists the Royal Government to coordinate, monitor, evaluate and implement and propose recommendations in relation to the policies and laws concerning improving the role and social welfare of Cambodian women.

The Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSVY) has been active in developing vocational training to provide alternatives to migration for vulnerable people. An inter-ministerial committee was created, which is composed of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Interior, Tourism, Justice and Women's Affairs. This committee is chaired by the MoSVY and had the task of negotiating the Memorandum of Understanding on the Trafficking of Women and Children between Cambodia and Thailand , signed in 2003. Following the signing of the bi-laterial MOU, MoSVY has been involved in the creation of a working group to facilitate the repatriation of trafficked children and women across the Cambodian-Thai borders and also prepared the resolution on the creation of the national working group to implement the MOU. At the end of July in 2004 in Bangkok , authorities of MoSVY participated in the Consultative Meeting of Cambodian-Thai Representatives on the implementation of the MOU between Thailand and Cambodia on "Bilateral Cooperation for Eliminating Trafficking in Children and Women and Assisting Victims of Trafficking".

In 2004 a Ministry of Labour (MoL) was established . The MoL recognizes that improved channels for safe migration can greatly reduce opportunities for traffickers and has represented the Royal Cambodian Government in making agreements with several countries, such as Malaysia and South Korea to send Cambodian workers to work abroad legally. So far, approximately 5000 Cambodian workers have followed this course. The MoL has also been working closely with the Thailand Ministry of Social Development and Human Resources to search for illegal Cambodian immigrants in Thailand to provide them with access to legalizing labour visas. More than 180,000 Cambodians have been reported to be working illegally in Thailand . The distribution of these labour visas began in April 2005. Furthermore, the MoL has recently drafted a National Plan of Action on the "Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour".

The Ministry of Education, with support from UNIAP, has incorporated trafficking and sexual exploitation contents into its non-formal educational program, publishing 5000 non-formal education books and distributing these to many provinces and municipalities, as well as training 1200 villagers in four provinces.

The Ministry of Tourism (MoT), with support from UNIAP and the British Embassy in Phnom Penh and in cooperation with WV-C, has recently joined the fight against trafficking and sexual exploitation of children in tourism. The MoT has created Committees on Child Safe Tourism at national level in eleven municipalities and provinces. The committees have implemented many activities to combat human trafficking and sexual exploitation of children in tourism, especially in eight prioritised locations: Phnom Penh , Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, Koh Khong, Bantaey Meanchay, Oddar Meanchay, Preah Vihear and Kompong Cham . This included many peer-education training sessions on prevention of child sex in tourism. In total, this training has been provided to nearly 4000 children, more than 200 teachers, and over 670 concerned authorities and establishment owners. There have also been 640 adult participants in the "Child Safe Tourism Training" in Kompong Cham province. These participants include people from hotels, restaurants, tour guides and local authority. Other activities included publishing and distributing 22500 copies of booklets entitled "Safe Tourism in Cambodia ". In cooperation with the MoT, World Vision has created a Child Safe Tourism Commission in 10 provinces. Child Peer Education Teams have also been established in 50 communities throughout Oddar Meanchay, Bantaey Meanchay, Koh Kong, Kampong Som, Siem Reap, and Preah Vihear.

The Ministry of Interior has provided training on legal issues and investigation techniques to police and cooperated with Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports to mainstream trafficking issues and child sexual exploitation into non-formal education programme. It also disseminated laws and trafficking issues to schoolchildren, hotels, guesthouses, karaoke, nightclubs and massage parlours and barbershops nationwide.

The CNCC, in cooperation with UNICEF, disseminated information on trafficking laws to judges, police, local authorities, and others through an annual calendar.

The Government recognises that more work needs to be done to reach rural population areas, particularly those with limited access to mass media, and also to reach Vietnamese communities. It has therefore cooperated extensively with NGOs and international organizations to build up community-based protection networks in high-risk provinces. In working on prevention, NGOs have used a range of media. CWCC and WMC have created radio and television spots and documentaries about trafficking, as has UNICEF. Krousar Thmey and LICADHO have both run poster campaigns, complemented by shadow puppet shows and cartoon books respectively. Several NGOs have worked to involve children in the response. For example, Goutte D'eau implemented a program in which child victims of trafficking produced and performed plays, while NGOCRC, a coalition of NGOs, has started to organize children's workshops on the trafficking of children, and has produced and distributed a brochure detailing the conclusions of the young people who participated in the first one.

The Cambodian Migration Development Committee (CMDC) in Battambang province provides vocational training to "beer and wine girls" who may be especially vulnerable to trafficking. Cambodia also has recognized a sex workers' union giving commercial sex workers added leverage for the protection of their rights. This is an important measure reflecting the Government's commitment to the Constitution which guarantees equal rights to all Cambodians.

Additionally, there are many economic development programmes in Cambodian communities. These are usually aimed at poverty generally with no specific focus on trafficking prevention, but a few, such as HCC, address this issue specifically.

Labour Standards

As noted, the 1993 Constitution of the Royal Government of Cambodia provides equal protection and prohibits discrimination against people regardless of status, such as race, religion, gender and country of origin or ethnicity. Also, as prescribed in Article 36, Cambodian citizens of either sex shall have the right to choose any employment according to their ability and needs of the society and receive equal pay for equal work. In addition, Article 45 states that the exploitation of women in employment shall be prohibited.

In 1997, the National Assembly adopted the Labour Code. This law applies to every enterprise or establishment, whether industrial mining, commercial, or agricultural, or providing services, crafts, or land or sea transport, whether public, semi-public or private, lay or religious, including educational and charitable institutions, professional offices, and associations and group of any nature. However, it is important to note that domestic work is not currently protected by this Code. The Code outlines many provisions concerning working conditions which include salary, minimum wages, the number of working hours, different types of leaves and time off, and protection of health and safety of workers, etc.

The normal number of working hours is eight hours per day, or forty-eight hours per week. Over-time work can be done when employers and employees agree with each other. Forced labour, debt-bonded labour and slavery are prohibited.

According to the law, women are equal to men in all fields of work. They can choose any work according to their preference and ability. In some circumstances, women are more protected in order to improve their statud. The law protects them fros discrimination and exploitation. Moreover, they shall receive 90-day maternity leave with half pay.

Women and children are also protected by special provisions of the Labour Code. Employers have an obligation to observe "public decency" and "good habits" toward children and women employees. Article 172 states that "All employers and owners of business which use child labourers or apprentices less than eighteen years old or women must maintain good habits and observe public decency. Sexual violations of any sort are strictly prohibited."

The minimal allowable age for workers is fifteen years old. The minimal allowable age for any kind of employment or work which, by its nature, could be hazardous to the health, safety, or well-being of an adolescent is eighteen years. However, persons from twelve to fifteen years can be hired to do light work, if it is not hazardous to their health or physiological development and will not affect their school attendance or their participation in guidance programmes or occupational training approved by a competent authority. Minors less than eighteen years old cannot be employed without prior agreement of their parents or guardians.

Chapter Eight of the Labour Code covers the requirement necessary to ensure the health and safety of employees in the workplaces. The provisions of the Chapter Eight are applicable to all employees, with the exception of some small businesses where the only employees are family members and the employer is a parent or guardian.

Chapter Nine of the Labour Code covers the work-related accidents. Employees who are injured, become ill, or die as a result of work conditions or accidents related to work are entitled to compensation and medical care.

In addition, the Cambodian contract law indicates that any contract is void and unenforceable if its purpose is illegal.

Cambodia therefore has a potentially strong existing framework to protect labour standards. However, the Government recognises that there is currently insufficient provision for punishment for any infringement of these laws.

Criminal Justice Response

First of all, the 1993 Constitution of the Royal Government of Cambodia recognizes the human rights of each and every Cambodian. Although it is not used to prosecute persons, the Cambodian Constitution prohibits trade in human persons. Article 46 specifically prohibits the "Commerce of human beings, their exploitation by prostitution and obscenity which affects the reputation of women."

The 'Provisions Relating to the Judiciary and Criminal Law and Procedure Applicable in Cambodia during the Transitional Period '(UNTAC Law) and the ' Law on Criminal Procedure 1993' were drafted in the same spirit of social justice that had inspired the Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia. They represent 'social ground rules founded on common values to enable all those involved to claim their fair share of the wealth they have helped to generate', and are complemented with mechanisms for follow-up to ensure their implementation.

In 1996, the National Assembly adopted the "Law on the Suppression of the Kidnapping, Trafficking and Exploitation of Human Beings." This law has an objective of suppressing acts of kidnapping of human persons for trafficking, sale and exploitation of human persons, in order to increase the respect of national traditions, protect the dignity of human beings and the welfare of the people. This instrument confirms human trafficking as a practice similar to slavery and calls for Cambodian citizens to take immediate action to secure the prohibition and elimination of human trafficking, especially in the form of sexual exploitation. It also provides penalties from 10 to 20 years' imprisonment for traffickers as well as for other exploiters in the trafficking chain (Article 3).

In theory, the law protects victims of either sex, and of any age or nationality. The law does not criminalize attempts to traffic, but does cover traffickers, buyers, sellers, facilitators, brothel owners, pimps, and accomplices; it also covers the procurement of sex with a penalty of 5-10 years, up to 10-20 years when the victim is less than 15 years old (Article 5). It is also of note that the law only covers trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Opening a place for committing debauchery or obscene acts is illegal in Cambodia, and punishable by a prison sentence of 1-5 years and a fine of 5 000, 000 -30 000, 000 Riel (US$ 1250 – 7500) (Article 7); the penalty will be doubled in the case of repeat offenders. Debauchery against a minor of below 15 years old is illegal, as is buying sexual services from a person under 15, under the same provision.

At the same time, there is a range of other laws that can be used to prosecute those involved in trafficking. The Law on Marriage and Family prohibits forced marriage, which is sometimes the result of trafficking. The law requires an application for annulment within six months of the marriage, but does not currently prescribe any specific penalties for offenders.

According to the UNTAC law, rape of persons of either sex is a crime punishable by 5-10 years imprisonment, which shall be increased to 10-15 years if the rape is accompanied by violence or threats with weapons. Assault is also a crime, punishable by 2 months' to 5 years' imprisonment, depending on the severity of the disability caused by the assault (Article 41).

There are also several circulars and instructions that are relevant to trafficking, including general guidelines on the prevention of trafficking and sexual exploitation as well as specific instructions. For example, Phnom Penh Municipality Notice No 60S instructed owners of hotels, guesthouses, and entertainment venues not to receive persons under 18 without the permission of their guardians.

As the trafficking problem continues to grow, nationally and internationally, the Government has concluded that the existing anti-trafficking law does not fully meet the country's own requirements, nor the requirements of the UN Convention on Transnational Organised Crime and its accompanying Protocol on Trafficking in Persons.

The Ministry of Justice with support from Japan and UNICEF has therefore drafted more comprehensive legislation on human trafficking and sexual exploitation, incorporating recommendations from many individuals, NGOs and UN agencies.

To ensure that the development of the new law is matched by improvements in implementation, training and education programmes are being developed to address this concern. Assistance is being provided by the Australian Government and UNICEF. Complementary initiatives include a law on Domestic Violence drafted by the Ministry of Women's Affairs with widespread consultation, and a law on foreign adoptions drafted by MoSVY with support from UNICEF. Revised Criminal Code, Civil Code and Code Civil Procedures have been drafted by the Ministry of Justice with support from France and Japan .

Arrests and Prosecutions

Recognising the complex nature of human trafficking, and that it often encompasses a range of crimes, Cambodia established the Department of Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection (Dept AHTJP) within Ministry of Interior on 13 May 2002. The Department deals with cases of human trafficking, sexual exploitation, rape and debauchery, and comprises a central office, a 24-hour telephone hotline and response unit, seven bureaus in key provinces and municipalities, and a special section in each of the other 17 provinces and municipalities in the country.

Cambodia does not yet have a nationalised system of collecting information on trafficking cases. The Department of Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection is developing a database for its cases. Moreover, the Ministry of Justice, in cooperation with UNIAP and ARCPPT, is working to address this issue by establishing a court case database in the Department of Criminal Affairs.

The Government, with support of ARCPPT, is now focusing on improving the ability of the judicial system to handle trafficking cases and reinforce the good work being undertaken by the police.

In addition, MoWA, recognising that improvements in the justice system will need to be complemented by work on societal factors that affect trafficking, has launched a major campaign to increase public condemnation of sexual exploitation and trafficking of women and children.

Support for Victims

The Ministry of Social Affairs, Labour, Vocational Training and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSVY) provides a range of services for returned trafficking victims. Since 1996, MoSVY with the support of IOM has cooperated with the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security in Thailand and local NGOs to assist children returning from Thailand . Accommodation is provided to the returned children in a transit centre near the border. They are then referred to a network of NGOs partners which provide shelter, food and security, counselling, recreational activities, literacy classes, non-formal education and medical care. Children stay at NGO centres while their families are traced and the possibility of family reunification is assessed. Where possible, the children are reunited with their families and the situation is monitored through follow-up visits. Children that cannot be reunited with their families are referred to other long-term shelters run by NGOs. In 2003, MoSVY and IOM entered a partnership to improve long-term solutions by exploring alternatives to institutional care and piloting projects to increase reintegration rates by providing support to the families of returned victims. With the support of IOM, MoSVY has developed a database of trafficking victims returned from Thailand . This information has been used to monitor patterns of trafficking, track the outcome of efforts to combat trafficking and develop appropriate trafficking programmes.

Since 1999, MoSVY with assistance of UNICEF has been gradually building up a system to monitor and follow-up vulnerable children, women and families who have returned to their communities of origin, following their participation in recovery and reintegration programmes run by NGOs. It also maintains a case management system. Information collected not only informs service provision strategies but is used for awareness raising purposes and policy advocacy and development.

The Government has cooperated with the IOM, LICADHO, CCPCR, AFESIP and World Vision to repatriate Vietnamese people who have been trafficked to Cambodia . The IOM plays a major role in assisting repatriation to and from Cambodia , including the facilitation of diplomatic negotiations and coordination of authorities, the legal custodian of the victim and the community or family of the victim.

The Government works closely with NGOs to provide support for victims of trafficking. The victim support agencies generally provide a comprehensive range of services to the victims, including safe shelter, counselling and health care. Where possible, these agencies also offer vocational training. Victims are entitled to have legal counsel, and NGO support is available for victims wishing to testify in court.

Officially, only law enforcement authorities have the right to rescue the victims. NGOs, however, can provide information and technical assistance to authorities. In this way, several NGOs such as AFESIP, HCC, CCPCR, CWCC, LICADHO and ADHOC are also involved in rescue work. CDP, LICADHO, CWCC, and LAC provide legal services to victims of trafficking; LICADHO and CWCC provide medical and psychological assistance to victims of trafficking, CWCC, Khemera House and Sok Sabay provide long-term care for girls under 18 who are victims of sexual exploitation or abuse, or who are at risk of being sold into prostitution, and CCPCR, AFESIP, World Vision, Mith Samlanh and Kruosar Thmey provide shelters and skills training for children in need. Under the auspices of the National AIDS Commission of the Ministry of Health, several NGOs provide AIDS education and health services to sex workers through local clinics; there is also at least one NGO working to educate small teams of sex workers to give "peer counselling" to other sex workers, and, where appropriate, provide information to the NGO to obtain assistance for a sex worker who wishes to leave the brothel.

Several NGO's are involved in repatriating and reintegrating victims of trafficking. These include AFESIP, CWCC, CWDA, Krousar Thmey, which support both women and children, and CCPCR, Goutte D'eau, Mith Samlanh, and House of Hope, which focus on services specifically for children.

There are also several skills and training programs offered by NGO's to victims of trafficking. Women and children are often given training in areas ranging from sewing, weaving, and hairdressing to Khmer and foreign language literacy.

Conclusion

Despite the challenges, identified gaps and weaknesses, the Royal Government of Cambodia as well as the international and Cambodian non-governmental organizations have made great efforts and contributed significantly in the fight against human trafficking.