Two Cambodian women who were married to Chinese husbands by brokers were set to be repatriated to Cambodia last night.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Choum Sounry said the two women – a 28-year-old from Koh Kong and a 23-year-old from Kampong Chhnang – appealed for help at the general consulate of Cambodia in Shanghai.

Keang and Se had lived in southeast China’s Jiangxi province since January 2014 and June 2013 respectively.

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“They claim they were not happy to live with their husbands’ families,” Sounry said. “The broker had arranged their travel to China . . . in order to marry with the Chinese men.”

He reiterated a plea to Cambodian women to “be careful of the promises made by the broker, who think only of their interest, not the interest of the women”.

Sokchar Mom, program manager at Legal Support for Women and Children, said poverty often drove women into the hands of brokers, with promises ranging from the opportunity to marry a wealthy husband in China or work in a factory, only to be traded as brides. “The reality is different,” he said.