"Ministry to probe child labour," 19 October 2018

The Ministry of Labour says it will investigate the claims of a Royal Holloway, University of London research team’s report alleging modern slavery in Cambodia’s brick kilns, said Minister of Labour Ith Sam Heng.

The report entitled Blood Bricks: Untold Stories of Modern Slavery and Climate Change in Cambodia claimed that poor Cambodians working as brick makers were trapped in debt bondage and had fallen into modern slavery.

This, it said was because the demand of brick makers is skyrocketing as the kingdom’s construction sector is booming with foreign investments.

In Phnom Penh on Thursday, Minister Ith Sam Heng said during a workshop entitled Decent Work Programme for Cambodia 2019-2023 that the ministry will start investigating the circumstances and locations mentioned in the report.

The report said brick kilns employed all types of workers, including children, due to rapid development in hotels, office buildings, factories, condominiums, and other projects in urgent need of bricks.

Chheang Suyheang, the president of two brick kiln associations representing more than 100 factories in Kandal province, denied the existence of child labour in brick factories.

“There is no impact on them. Their hands and feet do not fall into the machines or [get] cut off like before because there is no child labour in the brick [industry] and we do not allow minors to work because the organisation has strengthened,” he said.

Suyheang acknowledged that every “brick family” has borrowed money from the kiln owners. This is because they can quickly pay off their bank and microfinance loans.

...[T]he ministry issued a statement warning it will mete out fines and take other legal action against brick kilns which use child labour or commit other violations.