In recent days, thousands of workers have fled from scam centres across Cambodia, raising alarm over the country’s alleged involvement in the online scam industry. The situation has only worsened since authorities arrested and extradited Chen Zhi. The Chinese-born Cambodian tycoon is accused by the United States of running an international telemarketing scheme, the largest such network ever charged. The Cambodian government has faced accusations of complicity, yet it continues to deny any involvement, asserting that it has “never supported, nor will it ever tolerate, cybercriminal activity.”
The demand for these types of operations is skyrocketing in Southeast Asia. In Cambodia alone, an estimated 100,000 women and men find themselves toiling in buildings connected to these schemes. According to reports, thousands more have recently fled or been freed from these camps. Among them may be suspected victims of human trafficking. The Indonesian embassy in Phnom Penh had already confirmed receiving second-hand reports from a total of 1,440 freed Indonesian nationals. At the same time, long lines of Chinese nationals soon lined up outside their embassy.
The Cambodian government strongly insists that it is only acting out of a responsible commitment to fight against cybercrime. Prime Minister Hun Manet has pledged to “eliminate … all the problems related to the crime of cyber scams.” International observers have reported that without continued pressure, the issue will continue to exist. According to Jacob Sims, a visiting fellow at Harvard University’s Asia Center, the releases are unprecedented in nature. He warned that these acts might not lead to permanent change.
“This industry obviously has gotten to the point where it’s sort of too big to fail. It’s a major regime patrimonial resource.” – Jacob Sims
Specifically, the 2024 US Trafficking in Persons Report cited concerns over complicity by Cambodian officials in the scam industry. It raised critical issues that need to be addressed and mitigated. It’s revealed that many high-ranking government officials and advisers have online scam industry property holdings. They profit financially from these crimes which leads to the perverse incentives to arrest and profit. Furthermore, the report found that discriminatory selective enforcement of laws made it difficult to take appropriate action against trafficking criminal activity.
In spite of the government’s claims and guarantees to conduct a process with high integrity that meets all recognized international norms, doubt persists. Montse Ferrer raised concerns about individuals who escape only to find themselves in precarious situations.
“We’ve seen people who are forced to move to other compounds, and it’s possible that if people have escaped but don’t know where to go, don’t know what to do next, end up in another compound.” – Montse Ferrer
This release of workers has occurred alongside growing international pressure. This pressure comes after the UK and US took action against Chen Zhi on October 14. This escalation has drawn significant attention to Cambodia’s role in the global scam industry, which targets individuals worldwide through fraudulent online investment schemes.
The Cambodian government is still arguing that it is dedicated to fighting cybercrime. As observers such as Sims are deeply concerned about, without international pressure these initiatives have limited potential to bring about real change.
“What happens from here, a lot of that is going to depend on how sustained and durable this pressure remains against the regime.” – Jacob Sims
Regardless of how the situation evolves, it is ever important for international actors to follow these rapid developments closely. The recent wave of escapes reflects a dire problem. The fight against trafficking requires holistic strategies to both aid victims and root out networks that continue to spread exploitation.