Chou Bun Eng – secretary of state at the Ministry of Interior and permanent vice-chair of the National Committee for Counter Trafficking (NCCT) said that like many other countries around the world, Cambodia has been negatively by from human trafficking.

Speaking at the 16th National Anti-Human Trafficking conference held in Siem Reap on December 15, he said: “The government and the NCCT have made several revisions to our mechanisms, in response to the new strategies employed by criminals. Our national mechanisms are broad, and focus on prevention, victim rescue, prosecution and cooperation.”

She said the Kingdom is committed to combating transnational crimes, especially human trafficking, to protect the interests of the nation and the people, and would employ the full extent of its legal powers to do so.

You Sophear, deputy governor of Siem Reap, said at the event it was held to raise awareness among members of the public of the new tactics employed by criminals.

In Siem Reap province, she said authorities had investigated eight human trafficking cases, a drop by six cases compared to last year.

She said the authorities have been actively waging a campaign to eliminate this kind of crime, while also educating the public.