Bangkok (APP): President Donald Trump’s foreign aid frozen has caused a shock to organizations fighting human trafficking and forced labor in Cambodia, where tens of thousands of people have been captured and running a telephone scam. Call call centers are forced to work.
According to UN estimates, hundreds of thousands of people work in remote compounds in countries, including Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos, where they target online scams targeting people all over the world, including the United States. Some are smuggled under false pretense and lured jobs and forced to work against their will.
A shelter for people who manages to leave these compounds under the Catholic Charites Caratas recently allows some victims to go and can stop accepting more victims due to squeezing funds. This refuge in the capital is the only one that is operated by the government, which is taken in foreigners and Cambodian, the victims of scam compounds. Sources refused to be named because they were worried about the Trump administration’s retaliation.
Funds have also stopped relevant programs about rescue works and human trafficking with the help of civil society.
Compounds work in collaboration with some local elite. Last October, the United States approved Lee Yong Fat, a leading member of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party. Prime Minister Han MonietTo own the businesses who have smuggled people and forced them to work in online scam centers.
Civil society’s efforts were shocked when a small network of society and free media were already under intense government pressure addressing the compounds of Cambodia scam. Independent media outlets have been shut down, and a prominent Cambodian investigative journalist who reported the matter was arrested.
The Trump administration frozen US foreign aid in January, Developing projects all over the world This is from providing medicines to HIV patients to displaced people from disputes to humanitarian aid.
Although there are other shelters in Cambodia, she is “the only capable and shelter operated by Caitas,”, co -founder of a public private coalition, Shimrock, a public private alliance working to tackle international organized cybercrime Said It also helps victims of traumatic care as well as visas and legal assistance so they can return to their home countries.
The Caitas Shelter received the financial support of USAID fellow Winrock International in Cambodia. Sources said it had to receive about $ 1 million from USAID in two years. The shelter was also partially provided by a UN agency IOM, which the United States has provided large -scale financing
Neither USAID, IOM nor the Government of Cambodia responded to the commentary requests.
Some people manage to leave compounds, either escape themselves – sometimes jump from windows – or Cambodian police support relying on a few rescue operators. There is also a hotline from the Cambodian government.
When the victims get out, they often have difficulty returning home. They are usually kept in police custody and then sent to immigration custody where they can continue for months. Rescue workers say many people have no savings and legal help may be required if they illegally entered the country with smugglers.
Mina Cheng, the founder of humanity research consultancy, said, who has researched scam compounds in the region, Mena Cheng said shelters are important to re -smuggle the shelters.
“In 2022, my team and my team have learned issues where people who survived Taiwan were displaced on the streets of Cambodia after avoiding scams,” he said. “There have also been cases where the survivors were victimized by criminals after their escape.”
Lee sex, a rescue worker who has sent the cases to the Caitas shelter, said that because of the frozen of the funds, they had to stop helping the scam workers.
Lee said, as soon as he got a stopwork order, six victims left shelter, and two of them disappeared after, who p. There is also a student. He asked him to be in regular contact after leaving him and said he was worried that he had returned to the scam compound, because he had no savings and for food and shelter. Plans to find jobs.
Lee said other organizations that support the victims of the Scam Center have also affected the freezing of funds, such as providing medical help to the escaped victims.
For example, last year, he helped someone who had jumped out of a building to avoid a scam compound. The organization helped the victim pay emergency surgery, but the source of funds has also been stopped.
Freezing funds has also resulted in the cancellation of other related programs that are focused on preventing human trafficking.
A non -profit organization registered in the region was to launch a training program with community journalists in Southeast Asia to raise awareness about the scam compounds and their recruitment process. Sources with funds said that a labor -based organization was to launch a training program with labor unions in six Southeast Asian countries.
Organizations asked not to name it because of fear of official retaliation.
Information about the fund states that in response to the Scam Compounds and the Cambodian government, the latest developments and the Cambodian government’s response to the government’s response have been provided. The USAID’s Anti -Smuggling Program, financially -fired research consultants, wrote internal reports of criminal activity for the agency, which is sometimes shared with Congress staff as well as different parts of the US government.
Jack Sims, “After eliminating the US government’s support now, we can expect action in civil society oppression.
Last October, the Cambodian government arrested a leading investigating journalist who had widely reported the spread of scam compounds in the country.
Large international focus and local media organizations, after supporting journalists McDara was released on bail After about a month after that, he made a public statement that he would quit journalism.
Even if the new funding has been secured, it may be more expensive to resume anti -smuggling programs, as the programs have already been closed and contract workers have been left.
“The knocking effect of US aid funding is beyond the smuggling and re -smuggling of weak people. It strengthens criminal networks, which can enhance their actions,” consulted on humanitarian research. Cheng said.
