Passive No More: Cambodian Youth Advocate against Human Trafficking

Phnom Penh - August 09, 2013: With the International Youth Day just around the corner on 12 August, young people from across Asia are meeting in Chaing Rai this week to find local solutions to child trafficking.

 Thirty-six of the Mekong Region’s brightest young minds, who have first-hand experience with trafficking and exploitation, are carving out new solutions to an old problem. They are developing anti-trafficking plans that use community-led advocacy and education campaigns, along with partnerships with governments and international organizations throughout the region to help create counter-trafficking policy and make cross-border migration safer.

 “No longer are youth only asking us for to give them solutions, but rather, we are now seeing youth taking the situation into their own hands, taking action and driving solutions. We are excited to support them,” says Jason Evans, National Director of World Vision Cambodia. 

Across Asia, it’s estimated 11.7 million people have been trafficked. For these youth, the issue hits close to home.

 "Many people, especially youth in my town, quit school and go across the border with a broker to work abroad. I am concerned that my community will lack human resources; therefore, I need to take action," says Chin Pheakdey, a 20 year-old from Battambang province who is attending the anti-trafficking meeting. 

Pheakdey explains that youth club members in his community help prevent illegal cross border migration by sharing information about the dangers associated with trafficking and the importance of child education. 

"Changes occured with parents who were normally sending their children to work abroad. Now, after hearing our information, they let their children pursue higher education," Pheakdey adds. 

Young people’s participation in creating solutions for issues that affects them is part of a movement that international organizations like World Vision are adopting to ensure sustainable change in communities.

 “This is critical to acknowledging the real danger faced by Asian youths. Young people in this region live with the daily threat of being trafficked across borders or being sold into modern day slavery,” says Agnes Ting, Regional Director for World Vision East Asia.

 “We are working with governments around the region to remove these threats.”

Recently, the United Nations created an international agreement that enables young people to speak on an international platform on issues related to child protection and ending the sale of children, child pornography and the involvement of children in armed conflict.

 The international agreement, known as the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a Communications Procedure, strengthens the UN’s Convention on the Rights (CRC) of the Child. 

 To date, the only Asian countries to ratify the new agreement are Thailand and the Maldives.

“We know that young people are powerful advocates for their communities,” says Jason Evans. “They bring a creative and innovative approach to solving problems.”

 “In the past, people were not aware how to migrate safely, they just followed the broker,” Pheakdey says. “So, I thought I should take part in informing them so that at least they could understand how to get a passport and what information they should be prepared with when they go to work abroad.”

 Sixteen-year-old Sayon Chen from Siem Reap Province is another of the youth anti-trafficking advocates attending the meeting in Chaing Rai. Sayon has joined several meetings related to human trafficking in the past and is committed to speaking on behalf of young people to various government officials.

 “In my community, many youth are forced to quit school due to the poverty. Illegal migration could lead them to be trafficked. Therefore, I’m planning to share these issues to all leaders joining the meeting in Chiang Rai,” Chen says.

 The regional meeting continues today with youth from Thailand, Lao PDR, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar and China continuing to discuss ending human trafficking. The regional meeting is funded by World Vision, Save the Children and MTV Exit and has been conducted in 2004, 2007 and 2010. 

For media inquiries, contact:                                                                                                   Channpheaktra Hong                                                                                                             Media Officer, Communication Department                                                                               Tel: +855 (12) 672 732 Email: channpheaktra_hong@wvi.org