Cambodia Under Fire: Human Rights Atrocities Allowed to Fester Amid Slavery and Child Labor

A scathing new Amnesty International report condemns the Cambodian government for allowing “slavery and torture to flourish” within at least 53 scamification compounds—facilities used to orchestrate online scams rife with forced labor, human trafficking, child labor, and abuse. Often disguised as legitimate employment, these compounds lure unsuspecting victims with promises of well-paid work, only to trap them in prison-like environments ringed with barbed wire, CCTV, and armed guards.

Witnesses describe horrific conditions: victims—including nine children—survived repeated beatings, electrocution, confinement in “dark rooms,” and forced participation in fraud schemes targeting people around the world. Survivors also recounted that police raids often resulted in token rescues, with many compounds simply continuing operations afterward.

These compounds are part of a deeply entrenched criminal system that includes millions affected by related abuses, such as debt-bonded labor in brick kilns and child labor in agricultural and construction sectors. The U.S. Department of State maintains Cambodia on its Tier 3 Trafficking in Persons list, signaling a lack of significant government efforts to combat these crimes.

Amnesty’s findings reveal “a pattern of state failures” and possible government complicity. “The Cambodian authorities know what is going on … yet they allow it to continue,” said Montse Ferrer, Amnesty’s Regional Research Director.

Despite official denials and the launch of a Prime Minister-led task force in January, abuses persist unchecked. This systemic neglect highlights a dire need for genuine enforcement, victim protection, and judicial accountability .

_Daily Growth Insights