A Trafficked Woman Rescued in China
- By Nhor Sokhoeurn
- March 11, 2024 4:10 PM
PHNOM PENH – A Cambodian woman has been rescued in China after claiming that she was a victim of human trafficking, said the spokesperson of the Ministry of Interior.
The victim, an 16-year-old woman from Tbong Khmum province named Rom Phipha, called for help on her Facebook account on Mar. 9.
She said in a video that she was sold as a bribe to marry a Chinese man and had been confined for 6 months.
The Tbong Khmum provincial administration said in a press release on Mar. 10 that the victim’s sister had filed a complaint about her sister’s disappearance in China.
It added that Phipha used to send money to support her family every month, but stopped doing so six months ago. No one had been able to contact her over that period but her family didn’t report her disappearance to the police as they thought Phipha was angry with someone in her family.
The family then reported to police after they saw the video of Phipha asking for help.
Touch Sokhak, the Interior Ministry’s spokesperson, said on Mar. 11 that the ministry had contacted her and asked for her location. Interior Minister Sar Sokha requested the assistance from Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, including Cambodian diplomats to China, to solve the case.
Sokhak said that the victim had been threatened not to tell anybody about her whereabouts or to give any information that could lead to locating her.
He said that Cambodian officials, in cooperation with Chinese authorities, rescued the victim on the afternoon of Mar. 10.
The spokesman said that authorities are preparing to fly the victim back as soon as possible.
