A supervisor of Chinese origin employed at a Cambodian gambling establishment is under legal scrutiny following accusations of coerced labor. This development comes after a distressing event in which 42 Vietnamese citizens fled the establishment, alleging conditions comparable to contemporary enslavement.
General Keo Vannthan, a representative for the Cambodian immigration agency, informed press outlets that authorities were dispatched to the Golden Phoenix Entertainment Casino situated on Koh Rong island within Preah Sihanouk province. This led to the apprehension and interrogation of the supervisor, whose name remains confidential.
The inquiry commenced after the workers who absconded, having traversed the Binh Di River (a natural boundary separating Vietnam and Cambodia) to return to their homeland, provided their accounts. Regrettably, their escape attempt resulted in casualties. A teenage boy, aged 16, was lost to the river’s currents, and an additional individual was apprehended by casino security personnel. Among the 40 individuals who successfully escaped, five were female, while the remaining were male.
Those who reached safety disclosed that their wages were significantly below agreed-upon amounts, receiving a mere $400 to $500 monthly despite promises of $800. They further reported being refused any pauses or periods of respite during their work shifts.
Although the casino administration acknowledged “compelling the group to work against their volition,” they retorted by asserting that the individuals who fled had outstanding debts to the company. Adding to the gravity of the situation, none of the employees at the casino possessed legitimate passports, let alone the necessary work permits for Cambodia.
The head of law enforcement in Vietnam’s An Giang region, Dinh Van Noi, reported that individuals have come forward alleging they were deceived by a plan that illegally transported more than 2,000 Vietnamese nationals to Cambodia. These people were assured of employment at gaming establishments, but this proved to be untrue.
Numerous laborers were enticed by misleading guarantees of substantial wages, only to discover themselves coerced into unlawful work within Cambodian casinos. Dinh Van Noi stressed that if these employees desired to go back to Vietnam, they were frequently detained and informed they had to pay sums of up to $30,000 to the casinos for their release.
This predicament has escalated to the point that in the initial six months of 2021 alone, Vietnamese and Cambodian officials collaborated to liberate over 250 of these confined workers.
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