Teenage Cambodian Girl Safe After Trafficking To China Ordeal
China: It is reported that a 16-year-old girl named Bun Thoeun Sreynit was trafficked to China from her home in Lvea Em, Kandal Province.
According to the victim’s mother, in early January 2020, her daughter was taken by a trafficker to Vietnam and then to China.
According to the victim’s account, before the incident, she was lured with promises of wealth and told not to worry. After agreeing, she was hidden at a hotel in Kandal, and was transported by taxi to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and then to Hanoi.
The victim said that after staying in Hanoi for a while, she was taken to the Vietnamese border and then smuggled into China. Along the way, she claims that many other Cambodian women were also being taken to China by traffickers, but they were not allowed to talk to each other, for fear of reprisals and the threat of rape. Later they entered into China on foot and motorcycles.
After arriving in China, she was picked up by other traffickers and sent to engage in sex work- and she had sex with a number of Chinese men. Later she was sold to a Chinese man from Jiangxi Province.
After living with the Chinese man for a period of time, the victim developed medical problems, but was trapped inside the house and was forbidden to go out. She managed to get in touch with her mother in Cambodia and posted videos for help through Facebook.
On March 3 this year, Duong Dara (a government advisor) was introduced to the victim’s mother, who was hoping to ask Prime Minister Hun Sen for help and to rescue her daughter.
Duong Dara said that after receiving the news, he immediately contacted officials of the Cambodian Embassy in China, as well as the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other government departments. After multi-party cooperation, the victim’s residence and the identity of the Chinese man were found. On March 15, the Chinese police rescued the victim and sent it to the hospital for treatment.
He revealed that at present, the victim is being kept in isolation and is being punished for illegal entry in accordance with Chinese law, but is expected to return in the near future.
On his personal Facebook page, Mr. Duong Dara urges all parents to be vigilant and not to listen to criminals who make promises to deceive women, and many Cambodian women are facing the same experience as this girl. “If you encounter similar situations, please report to the police immediately”.
