Cambodia has the third-highest prevalence rate for modern slavery in the world, trailing only North Korea and Uzbekistan, according to the Global Slavery Index 2016, released this morning by the Walk Free Foundation.
Using data gathered as part of the annual Gallup World Poll, Walk Free Foundation determined that as many as 256,800 Cambodians – 1.65 per cent of the population – are currently subject to forced marriage or labour.
The report referenced International Labour Organisation research that found 9 per cent of Cambodian fishermen are subject to forced labour; the same research found that Cambodians account for 40 per cent of fishermen across four major Thai ports.
Cambodians are frequently discovered to be working on fishing vessels under brutal conditions overseas. Earlier this month, Licadho human rights observer Sem Chausok said 500 Cambodians have been repatriated over the past three years after being rescued from forced labour at sea.
Forced marriage, meanwhile, accounted for 55,800 of the quarter of a million Cambodians the Walk Free Foundation deems to be modern slaves.
In particular, the report draws attention to the growing trend of Cambodian women trafficked for marriage to Chinese men. Eighty-two Cambodian women were repatriated from China last year.
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