Sihanoukville has promised to take legal action against hotels and casinos that engage in forced labor and sexual exploitation.

[ASEAN NOW]

 

The Governor of Preah Sihanouk Province, Kouch Chamroeun, has issued a statement stating that the provincial authorities will take administrative and legal action against hotel and casino owners who employ forced labor.

The Governor made the declaration after the Provincial Administration received a number of complaints about the situation.

 

The Governor emphasized that the Preah Sihanouk Provincial Administration will take the following severe steps to prevent forced or obligatory labour, which could lead to human trafficking and sexual exploitation under the guise of seeking job:

 

For starters, any form of coerced or coercive labor is completely prohibited (in accordance with Convention No. 29 on Forced or Compulsory Labor, adopted on 28 June 1930 by the International Labor Organization and ratified by the Kingdom of Cambodia on February 24, 1969 and in accordance with Article 15 of the Labor Law of the Kingdom of Cambodia).

Second, it is illegal to hire individuals to work to pay off debts (Article 16 of the Labor Law of the Kingdom of Cambodia).

 

Third, it is illegal to deduct earnings in order for the recipient to look for work, whether directly or indirectly, from the employer, an employer representative, or an intermediary, such as a recruiting agency (Article 126 of the Law Work of the Kingdom of Cambodia).

 

Fourth, anyone who unlawfully removes another person for the purpose of sexual exploitation, creates pornographic photos, marries against the victim's will, adopts a kid, or engages in any other form of exploitation will be held accountable. The statute states that (Article 10 of the Law on the Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation of the Kingdom of Cambodia).

 

Fifth, anyone who arrests, detains, or detains another person without a legal authority's order or, save in circumstances where the law permits, shall be punished according to the law (Article 253 of the Penal Code of the Kingdom of Cambodia).

 

The behaviors described above are crimes that are criminal and have substantial aggravating circumstances since they are harmful to humanity, according to International Labor Organization Convention No. 29 and Cambodian law.

 

In addition, the province government will take administrative and judicial action against hotel and casino owners who are involved in imprisonment, forced labor, or illegal immigration, whether indirectly or directly.

 

If the owner of the hotel and casino building is found to have committed the aforementioned offenses, the Sihanoukville Provincial Administration will temporarily label the business location and build a case to be sent to court to punish the person involved in accordance with the law in effect, as well as request the Royal Government to permanently cancel the business license.