Cambodia - The Provincial Committee to Counter Trafficking in Svay Rieng province, Cambodia, held their 9th Stop Human Trafficking and Exploitation awareness raising event to mark National Anti-Trafficking Day on December 12th.

The event brought together over 1,200 citizens and community leaders from government, civil society, youth groups, NGOs and religious leaders to raise awareness of human trafficking and stop the exploitation of women and children in Cambodia.

The event began with a street parade through the provincial border town. The parade was followed with  speeches from community leaders and a stage performance by young people acting out real-life scenarios and showing how communities can prevent the trafficking and exploitation of young people.

Over 100 Cambodian children have been returned to Svay Rieng from Viet Nam this year after being forced to work as beggars in Vietnamese cities.

Human trafficking in Svay Rieng province can affect young people recruited by brokers to work in Special Economic Zones along the border, Phnom Penh and abroad in Thailand and Malaysia. Although a large number of migrants benefit from migration, others fall victim to exploitative forced labour, working long hours and forced to live in bad conditions with little or no pay.

According to Pov Sopheap, Deputy Governor and Chair the Provincial Committee in Svay Rieng Province, key messages for young people are: "If you are thinking of migrating away from home -be informed. Ask questions and take your time before accepting a job offer. Anyone can be a trafficker. Take your time before making a decision to migrate in Cambodia or overseas. And visit the local job resource centre and check with the Department of Labor to make sure the recruiter’s company is licensed with the Ministry of Labour."

“The purpose of the event was not only to raise awareness, but also to encourage community leaders to take action if they see someone being abused or exploited, and report it immediately by calling the national hotline number 12 88," said IOM Cambodia programme officer Brett Dickson, who distributed free T-shirts advertising the hotline.

The event was supported by the Provincial Government and international donors, including the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which paid for the T-shirts, USAID and the IOM X campaign, which produced and printed safe migration posters.

For further information, please contact Brett Dickson at IOM Phnom Penh, Tel: +855 23 216 532, Email: bdickson@iom.int