Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PHNOMPENH661
2006-04-07 09:02:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Phnom Penh
Cable title:  

CAMBODIA: SEX AND SLAVERY IN SIEM REAP

Tags:  PHUM PREL KWMN CB 
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VZCZCXRO5457
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHPF #0661/01 0970902
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 070902Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6418
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM PRIORITY
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 1379
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 PHNOM PENH 000661 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

FOR G/TIP, EAP/MLS, AND EAP/RSP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL KWMN CB
SUBJECT: CAMBODIA: SEX AND SLAVERY IN SIEM REAP

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 PHNOM PENH 000661

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

FOR G/TIP, EAP/MLS, AND EAP/RSP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL KWMN CB
SUBJECT: CAMBODIA: SEX AND SLAVERY IN SIEM REAP


1. Summary. PolOff traveled to Siem Reap to meet with NGOs,
government officials, and conduct direct observations and
interviews at commercial sex establishments to better assess
the trafficking in persons (TIP) problem and the action that
is being taken to combat TIP in the province. NGOs
unanimously reported good cooperation with the government and
an increase in the number of successful prosecutions. The
Governor explained that combating TIP has become a priority
for the government and he is committed to preventing Siem
Reap from becoming a destination for sex tourists. Sex
workers, NGOs, government officials, and a victim of
trafficking explained how desperate poverty pushed women into
the commercial sex industry and made other women vulnerable
to victimization by the sex industry. The potential to earn
money will continue to attract women from the countryside,
despite heightened awareness raising and prevention campaigns
regarding the dangers of trafficking. End Summary.

NGOs on TIP
--------------


2. Anti-trafficking NGOs in Siem Reap Province unanimously
reported good cooperation with the government and an increase
in the number of successfully convicted traffickers. NGO
Cambodian Women's Crisis Center (CWCC) stated that
cooperation between government and NGOs has improved
tremendously and noted that that both male and female
traffickers are now being arrested, prosecuted, and convicted
- with many receiving sentences of 5-15 years imprisonment.
The Cambodian Defenders Project (CDP),an NGO that provides
legal assistance to victims and legal training to the police,
commented that it has seen improved investigations and
collection of evidence by the police. CDP added that
prosecutors are now receiving sufficiently strong cases that
enable them to obtain convictions in the court. NGO LICADHO,
which takes a reactive approach to trafficking, explained
that it had not received any complaints from TIP victims in
the past year. Agir pour les Femmes en Situation Precaire
(AFESIP) added the greatest challenge it faced in gaining
cooperation was not from the government, but from the
"victims" after they had been rescued. AFESIP explained that
the vast majority of sex workers are adult voluntary workers

who do not want to leave their lucrative positions. All of
the NGOs expressed concern that increased tourism to Siem
Reap could lead to an increase in human trafficking. NGOs
also explained that there were rumors of victims being
relocated to Siem Reap following the 2004 closure of the
notorious Sway Pak brothel area in Phnom Penh.


3. NGO Friends, which recently opened a drop-in center for
street children in Siem Reap, explained that while it has no
specific information on human trafficking, it has heard
rumors that special houses outside the city have been
established for Asian sex tourists. Friends explained that
its Child Safe program, which trains traditional facilitators
(moto and tuk-tuk taxi drivers) about the importance of
protecting vulnerable children and reporting suspicious
activity, is a good source of information about the local
situation. Its facilitators have reported a high demand for
sexual services, which coupled with the large population of
migrants attracted to Siem Reap's booming economy, could
produce a climate that encourages human trafficking. Friends
explained that although it has no clear information, it is
concerned that poor families might engage in trafficking
their children. Friends also reported that many children
engage in selling postcards and other souvenirs to foreign
tourists are earning roughly $200-$300 per month (a
significant amount considering many adult laborers earn $1-$2
per day). However, Friends has received numerous reports of
many of these same children are propositioning foreign
tourists to engage in commercial sex acts, which could create
a increased demand in the province. The Child Safe program,
which began in September 2005, has trained 51 moto taxi and
tuk-tuk drivers to report suspicious activity, but has
yielded no reports to date.

Sex Work in Seam Reap
--------------


4. AFESIP reported that there are approximately 45
commercial sex establishments in Siem Reap and roughly 1,050
sex workers. AFESIP explained that through its HIV
prevention program, it is able to obtain inside information
on potential victims working in commercial sex
establishments. The Department of Women's Affairs explained
that most sex workers come from poor or broken families,
while some come to make money to pay for their weddings or to
earn the necessary capital to start a small business.

PHNOM PENH 00000661 002 OF 004




5. NGO Cambodian Women for Peace and Development (CWPD),
which focuses HIV education and reduction activities for
direct and indirect sex workers, informed PolOff that there
are more than 100 commercial sex venues in Siem Reap, which
attract Khmer and foreign clients. CWPD has mapped all known
commercial sex establishments and has received permission
from the management to meet with the sex workers and provide
them with health education, counseling, life planning, and
information on vocational training opportunities. CWPD
informed PolOff that it believes that the vast majority of
sex workers are adult voluntary workers; however, there may
be a small number of victims who are not given permission to
meet with CWPD, are too frightened to confide in the NGO, or
have been placed in the establishment because of their
family's impoverished economic situation. According to CWPD,
most of the sex workers in the large establishments are
either women who have graduated high school and are unable to
continue their studies or women who migrated to Siem Reap to
work as manual laborers and discovered that commercial sex
work was much more lucrative. CWPD conducts weekly meetings
to inform commercial sex workers about other economic
alternatives; however, it is required to give a $2-$3 per
diem to recruit participants and few are willing to leave sex
work for less lucrative positions. Those who do leave face
discrimination because of their past professional history.


6. Commercial sex establishments in Siem Reap, like most
other towns in Cambodia, are divided into three types/zones:
Khmer brothel zones, Vietnamese brothel zones, and high-end
massage/karaoke parlors that are scattered throughout the
town. CWDP believes that very few sex workers are held
against their will and if there are underage victims, they
are well hidden. CWDP explained that during Tet, Vietnamese
brothels are empty, as nearly all of the sex workers return
to Vietnam to be with their families. CWDP explained that
most Vietnamese sex workers traveled to Cambodia specifically
to work in the sex industry in order to earn sufficient
capital to return to Vietnam and start a business. CWDP
noted that it has encountered a small number of trafficking
victims who were in a situation of debt bondage, but
explained that much has been done in the area of
awareness-raising and that women now understand their rights.
CWDP explained that five years ago many women could not
leave the brothels; however, now when a new large commercial
sex establishment opens, many workers voluntarily seek
employment with the new establishment because it will
increase their income. In the past three years, CWDP has
rescued five women who were in a situation of debt bondage
and these women have returned to work as volunteers with the
organization. CWDP explained that the situation for
commercial sex workers has greatly improved over the years
and they are empowered and oftentimes financially successful.


7. PolOff accompanied CWDP to various commercial sex
establishments and spoke with various workers about the
origins of their involvement in the sex industry. Many of
the workers were divorced women with children who traveled to
Siem Reap from their villages seeking anonymity and were
sending money back to their villages to support their
families. There were also a significant number of women who
lived in the brothels with their husbands or boyfriends. The
vast majority of the Khmer and Vietnamese brothels are small
family-run business -- oftentimes with grandparents,
children, and sex workers living, eating, and playing
together. These brothels house between two to ten sex
workers, who report that they are able to earn between $.75
and $5 per customer, with the possibility of earning $5-$50
per night. The women explained that the vast majority of
their clients are Cambodians and they only rarely see foreign
clients. The workers explained that they usually share half
of the fees with the house in exchange for room, board, and
security. The Vietnamese brothel area was comprised of
similar small-scale brothels and owners reported that they
are short-staffed, as many of the workers left for the larger
karaoke/massage parlors where there is a much greater
potential to earn higher incomes. During visits to high-end
karaoke/massage parlors, sex workers explained that most had
come to work in these locations after a friend from their
villages had returned and told them about the potential to
earn significant incomes as a sex worker. According to these
sex workers, they entered into this profession without
deception. They explained that they received approximately
$20-$30 per customer (both foreign and Cambodian) before
paying $10 for the room rental.


8. PolOff later conducted informal observation of the
commercial sex establishments under the guise of a potential

PHNOM PENH 00000661 003 OF 004


customer, visiting approximately 40 establishments. PolOff
observed several hundred sex workers in various sex
establishments and spoke to sex workers and clients, both
Cambodian and foreign. The clients in the brothel areas were
primarily Cambodian men and boys. One boy informed PolOff
that if he is behaves well or gets good grades at school, his
father will reward him with a trip to the brothel. Most
Asian and Western tourists were observed frequenting the
high-end karaoke/massage establishments. During observations
PolOff did not witness any sex workers who appeared to be
clearly underage in the brothel areas, but it is impossible
to determine whether any had been deceived or were in a
situation of debt bondage. PolOff received information from
a moto taxi driver of a sex establishment that had young
girls available to customers. PolOff observed two girls who
appeared to be underage and provided NGO International
Justice Mission with the information for appropriate
investigation and action.

A Victim Speaks Out
--------------


9. PolOff visited the Cambodian Women's Crisis Center (CWCC)
shelter, which housed about 60 residents, most of whom are
victims of domestic violence and rape. CWCC explained that
the greatest problem facing women and girls in Cambodia is
not human trafficking, but sexual assault, as there has been
a dramatic increase in the number of reported rapes, both by
fellow villagers and family members. PolOff met with the one
trafficking victim, "Srey Pov", who explained how she became
victimized. Twenty-year-old Srey Pov had been working as a
manual laborer in her rural village in order to support her
ill parents, when an female acquaintance from the
construction site informed her that better paying jobs
awaited them in Siem Reap. Srey Pov asked her parents for
permission to go, but they refused. Nonetheless, she felt it
was her duty to support her parents financially and ran away
to Siem Reap with her acquaintance. However, instead of
finding work in a restaurant, Srey Pov found herself placed
into a house where she was told she would receive guests.
After three days, an affluent Khmer man came into her room
and attempted to force himself upon her. Srey Pov managed to
fight the man off and found her way to the CWCC shelter where
she hopes to receive vocational training and eventually
employment so that she can fulfill her filial duty to assist
her parents. She refuses to contact her parents until she is
able to provide them with financial assistance.


10. PolOff discovered that Srey Pov had received information
from various awareness-raising campaigns and was aware of the
importance of safe migration practices, yet she explained
that because of her desperate economic situation, she was
willing to take the risk. CWCC informed PolOff that it
provides weaving and haircutting vocational training to its
residents, from which they may be able to earn $1-$2 per day.
PolOff also visited a stone carving business, which had
received trainee referrals from anti-trafficking NGO COSECAM.
The trainees explained that after finishing a 60-day
training period during which they receive a small salary,
they begin to receive a commission from sales and are able to
earn $5-10 per day from their labor. It is interesting to
note that this private business initiative -- which receives
no donor funding or technical assistance -- could possibly be
the most successful example in Cambodia of a viable
alternative for those vulnerable to and victimized by human
trafficking.

The Government Response
--------------


11. Deputy Provincial Governor Ung Oeun explained that the
Prime Minister had issued a strict order to all provincial
officials that significant efforts be made to combat human
trafficking. However, he noted that despite government
actions, the trafficking problem persists. The Deputy
Governor explained that although Siem Reap town is affluent
and developed, it is the second most impoverished province in
Cambodia (following Pailin). He explained that the Province
had suffered from damaging droughts and floods over the past
years, but that 2005 yielded a 60,000 ton surplus of rice.
He believed that the population was particularly vulnerable
to human trafficking during the low-yield years and hopes
that the increased harvest, coupled with improved
transportation and educational infrastructure will reduce
poverty and decrease the vulnerability of the local
inhabitants.


12. PolOff met with the chief of the provincial

PHNOM PENH 00000661 004 OF 004


anti-trafficking unit, Sun Bunthorn, who explained that his
unit has observed increased numbers of tourists to the
province and an increase in entertainment complexes, which he
believes could create an increase in trafficking victims.
Nonetheless, Bunthorn believed that the vast majority of
commercial sex workers are adult women voluntarily working in
the sex industry. He reported that his unit conducted 10
raids in 2005, removing 96 workers, two of whom were underage
victims and one who was victimized by force. Buthorn
commented that his unit has faced difficulty in gathering
sufficient evidence to obtain convictions, since most removed
workers refuse to cooperate. He also expressed his
frustration of not receiving information from NGOs after
workers had been removed and placed in their care. Buthorn
explained that it was impossible for his unit to understand
trafficking trends, methods, and modes without additional
information that NGO shelters are able to gather during the
assessment of the victim.


Comment
--------------


13. It is clear that the government's will to combat human
trafficking has extended to Siem Reap Province and that
provincial authorities are taking increased action. Informal
observation of commercial sex establishments is reassuring in
that there do not appear to be blatantly underage girls
available for commercial sex acts. However, the danger
exists that sexual slavery will be pushed much deeper
underground and will require increasingly sophisticated
approaches to combat it -- something that local police and
NGOs currently do not possess. It is also important that
NGOs begin to not only seek cooperation with the
anti-trafficking units, but also begin to provide assistance
so that anti-trafficking units obtain a more complete
understanding of the problem and can adjust their law
enforcement approaches accordingly. Awareness-raising
campaigns appear to have reached broad audiences throughout
the province; however, it is clear how the economic plight of
the desperately poor does necessarily lead to behavioral
modification. End Comment.
Mussomeli