Cambodia failed to improve its ranking on the U.S.’ annual “Trafficking in Persons Report” after being demoted last year.
Released on Friday, the global report again ranks Cambodia on the Tier 2 Watch List, one tier away from the lowest position, Tier 3.
“The Government of Cambodia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking,” the report says. “The Government of Cambodia’s efforts to hold traffickers accountable significantly declined.”
The report says that Cambodia investigated 35 cases of suspected trafficking in 2013. Of these, just 18 cases led to convictions, 10 for sex trafficking and eight for labor trafficking, a decline from 44 convictions in 2012.
“Cambodia is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking,” the report says.
Sok Reaksmey, chief of the anti-human trafficking office at the Ministry of Interior, said the government has taken steps to fight trafficking.
“We are applying the law,” he said. “We have achieved a lot and cracked down on so many crimes.”
