CAMBODIA: Human trafficking likely to increase

September 19, 2008

While searching IRINnews.org, I came across an article about human trafficking in Cambodia. In this article I read about how children in particular are main targets to be scooped up and forced to work at a very young age. Not only that but they are working for little or no money at all. According to humanitarian workers trafficking is expected to increase shapely along with food and fuel prices.
Many children are tricked into such a life by the promise that they will be granted a better way of living and a secure source of income. At a young age some children are forced into domestic work, labor in factories, ships or shuffle the streets as beggars; while others are being recruited by gangs and inducted onto the sex trade.
Not only are they being trafficked throughout Cambodia, they are also being trafficked abroad. A few years ago many Cambodians, most of who were underage, were smuggled into Somalia. Others were sent to places like Thailand or Vietnam to work as street sellers or beggars. I read about one little girl who was seven years old and had been selling flowers for years. She had been sold to a trafficker, by her father, for only $50 US dollars. Handicapped children were seen to be more effective as beggars because people would take pity on them.
Once again I'm sickened by such happenings around the world. One of my best friends who is Cambodian, came to American only a few years a

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go. She's such a sweet girl, I can't imagine anyone taking advantage of her and leading her way from her family, simply for their own benefit. I can't believe that anyone would want to take advantage of an innocent child. I guess it's hard for me to understand, because I live in American and our economy is different from that in Cambodia. Although the money is needed I'm sure there must be other ways.

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=80427