The Foreign Affairs Ministry on Friday defended the Cambodian Embassy and consulates in China, which have been accused of ignoring female citizens in peril there, and said it has made efforts to cut off the flow off women being sold into brothels or forced marriages.
In a statement, the Ministry responded to claims by rights groups and victims that the Embassy in Beijing and consulates around the country had neglected to assist women who had escaped from abusive situations after being sold into marriage by brokers who promised wealthy husbands or high-paying jobs.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, [Embassy and consulates] always pay attention to rescuing Cambodian citizens suffering under any circumstances, by not ignoring victims facing continued suffering as alleged by Adhoc,” the statement says.
Adhoc on Wednesday disseminated figures for the first six months of 2014, which showed 29 cases of Cambodian women being tricked into abusive situations by brokers. In 2013, only 8 such cases were reported.
A number of victims have claimed that they were not afforded the appropriate assistance by diplomatic establishments in China. One said that the consulate in Guangzhou returned her to the broker that had sold her to a man who confined and raped her for eight months.
Foreign women intending to marry Chinese men must provide documentation to prove that they are single. Adhoc has suggested that translation of these documents could potentially serve as a revenue stream for officials in the Embassy and consulates.
In its statement, the Ministry says that it has advised staff there that they are not to “certify single-status letters for Cambodian women.”
The Ministry also said that it had helped repatriate 18 women in 2014. One of those is 18-year-old Ratha, who says the consulate in Guangzhou turned her away because she did not have her passport, which was held by the abusive husband she had been sold to and escaped from.
“At that time, I would not have gone to officials at the Cambodian Consulate if I had my passport, I would have gone straight to the airport to catch a plane to my country,” she said.
“This is not an allegation. It is true that officials there did not help me when I approached them.”
