Thousands of foreign nationals who escaped or were released from scamming compounds in Cambodia are now stranded without state support, as survivors recount rape, torture, and killings inside the facilities, Amnesty International said.
The rights group said it interviewed 35 survivors over the past six weeks, including at least 11 within the past week. Many are now in Phnom Penh without passports, money, medical care, or clear pathways home.
“This mass exodus from scamming compounds has created a humanitarian crisis on the streets that is being ignored by the Cambodian government. Amid scenes of chaos and suffering, thousands of traumatized survivors are being left to fend for themselves with no state support,” said Montse Ferrer, Amnesty International’s Regional Research Director.
Amnesty described the situation as transnational in scope, with survivors coming from Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.
“This is an international crisis on Cambodian soil. Our researchers have met people from Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. They are in urgent need of consular assistance in order to help get them home and out of harm’s way,” Ferrer said.
Survivors alleged widespread abuse inside the compounds, which Amnesty says are operated by organized criminal groups. Two women told researchers they became pregnant after being raped by compound managers.
Others described sexual assault, torture, and punishments, including a man whose finger was cut off and another whose throat was slit after he was caught trying to escape.
One survivor said he witnessed the killing of a man whose throat was cut by a manager. Ten other survivors reported that police visited their compounds regularly, including to remove dead bodies, but did not intervene against the managers.
Delilah, who escaped from a compound near Phnom Penh in Prey Veng, told Amnesty: “Many people died. We even try to put together money to help repatriate the bodies. People got sick, but they don’t help us. I told them I couldn’t breathe.
When we forced our way out, one guard shot his gun in the air. We had to force our way out because one guy is sick and he doesn’t want to die.”
Another survivor, Mehi, said managers appeared to have abandoned her compound after months of confinement.
“I had been in the compound for 12 months, fearing for my life. But one day, several of us woke up and realized the compound managers had left the site and the security guards were gone. The doors and gates were left open, and we walked out.”
“The people we have spoken to are deeply afraid. They want to return home, but many have no passports or no money, let alone enough to purchase a flight out of the country,” Ferrer said.
“The Cambodian authorities appear to be doing nothing to help, and NGO support is insufficient, especially in the wake of widespread aid funding cuts over the past year. These people urgently need their own governments to step in and help.”
