Cambodia: Govt. order crackdowns on scam compounds and human trafficking hubs while NGOs raise doubt over effectiveness
BHRRC Southeast Asia
"Officials Ordered to Dismantle Scams, But Past Failures Shadow Effort", 16 July 2025
The Cambodian government has ordered a nationwide crackdown on online scams, citing rising threats from foreign criminal networks, as international pressure mounts over alleged state complicity and Thailand ramps up its own response amid a tense border dispute.
Amnesty International, which recently accused the Cambodian government of enabling the scam industry, said it remained unconvinced the latest order would lead to real change.
“While we hope that the Prime Minister’s new approach aims to be effective, there is no reason to think this response will be any different from the previous ones which have pointed towards complicity in the scamming compounds issue,” said Montse Ferrer, Amnesty’s deputy regional director for research.
“The language we’ve seen makes no reference to human rights principles or how victims will be identified and treated. It doesn’t mention the non-punishment principle, for example,” she added, referring to the rampant use of forced labor in scam centers.
… Signed by Prime Minister Hun Manet, the order calls for a coordinated crackdown involving the military, national police, border guards, gambling regulators and other agencies, targeting scam operations and related crimes such as human trafficking…
Authorities in Phnom Penh carried out two raids on the same day the directive was posted, detaining 234 foreign nationals at a suspected scam compound, along with three Chinese nationals from a smaller alleged scam ring.
Most police officials involved in the operation declined to comment on the case, including whether the detainees were screened for human trafficking or if any suspected ringleaders were among those arrested.
… Separately, Thailand has stepped up efforts to dismantle regional scam networks linked to Cambodia’s casino and trafficking hubs.
… Industrial-scale scam centers continue to operate across Cambodia, with some estimates suggesting as many as 350 are active, generating between $12 billion and $19 billion annually. Cyberscam Monitor, a regional watchdog tracking online crime networks, has identified at least 181 suspected scam sites nationwide and at least six additional compounds in districts adjacent to Toul Kork…