Human Rights Organization Slams Cambodia over Renewed Licenses of Casinos Tied to Scams

Amnesty International, an organization championing human rights worldwide, has disagreed with Cambodia’s decision to re-issue licenses to several casinos that are believed to have ties to severe crime and scam centers.

Documented Cases of Human Rights Violations Suggest Some Casinos Were Tied to Crime

The news comes a few months after the Cambodia Commercial Gambling Management Commission’s (CGMC) decision to renew the licenses of several casinos. These included the Crown casinos in Bavet, Chrey Thum, and Poipet, as well as the Majestic Two and Majestic Hotel & Casino in Sihanoukville.

In its release, Amnesty International alleged that multiple casinos in Cambodia might have links to scam centers that have committed severe human rights violations, such as human trafficking, forced labor, child labor, and torture. The owner of one of the Sihanoukville casinos, for example, was recently slammed with multiple charges.

Amnesty International was tipped off about some of the violations by survivors of the aforementioned scam centers and was able to confirm some of the locations of said centers. As it turned out, the survivors in question were confined at the Crown Resorts complex in Poipet and were forced to assist with illicit operations.

Testimonies from other survivors implicate other casinos of being involved in similar operations, too.

The Government Should Investigate the Matter, Amnesty Says

Amnesty International emphasized that the suspicious properties had their licenses renewed during a time the country was undergoing a supposed crackdown on scam centers. The organization noted that the decision to renew the properties’ licenses could legitimize companies linked to organized crime.

Amnesty International is now calling on authorities to explain why they decided to renew the licenses of casinos with documented links to human trafficking and said that every day these casinos remain licensed is another day in which guests of these venues risk being enslaved.

Montse Ferrer, Amnesty International’s interim co-regional director for East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said that the abundance of documentation alleging that many of Cambodia’s casinos have been tied to human rights violations is alarming and that it demands immediate investigation at every level of the corporate chain.

Ferrer added that Cambodia should immediately suspend the licenses of casinos and probe the casinos in question.

A previous report by Amnesty International identified dozens of scamming compounds across the country, prompting sweeping crackdowns. The organization hopes that its latest report will have a similar effect.