Stuart White

For the third straight year in a row, Cambodia has found itself on the Tier 2 Watch List of the US State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report, a ranking reflective of a seeming inability to fully implement the country’s own anti-trafficking plan.

A Tier 2 ranking indicates a country does not meet the minimum standards of the US’ Trafficking Victims Protection Act, but is making “significant efforts” to do so.

Being placed on the “Watch List”, however, indicates a lack of evidence of “increasing efforts” to fight against severe trafficking, including increased protections for victims and prosecutions for perpetrators and complicit authorities.

Tier 3 countries – such as Thailand, a common destination for trafficked Cambodian labourers – are identified as neither adhering to minimum standards, nor making significant efforts to do so.

read more: http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/anti-trafficking-status-static

Yes, that hurts. However, we don't feel downhearted about it...