A Change of Guard

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Wednesday 10 February 2016

Four Suspected Human Traffickers Tried

Four Suspected Human Traffickers Tried

Khmer Times / Buth Reaksmey Kongkea
Tuesday, 09 February 2016

Former garment worker Boeun Soklim, 33, (R) and Dul Chandy, 26, (L) walking back to prison after their hearing at Phnom Penh Municipal Court. KT/ Mai Vireak


Four suspects in a human trafficking case were tried by Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday over allegations that they organized the forced marriage of a 21-year-old woman to a Chinese husband in 2015.
 
Boeun Soklim, 33, and her husband Chour Chorn, 40, were tried alongside 26-year-old Dul Chandy with “unlawful removal with purpose” under Article 10 of the Law on Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation. Boeun Sreyna, a 29-year-old currently living in mainland China, was likewise charged in absentia. If found guilty, each could be sentenced to between seven and 15 years in prison, according to presiding judge of Phnom Penh Municipal Court Veng Huoth.
 
 Mrs. Soklim, Ms. Chandy and Mr. Chorn were all arrested after the victim issued a complaint against them to the Municipal Anti-human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection police on January 25, 2015.
 
The three were active human traffickers at the time of their arrest, responsible for bringing four Cambodian girls to marry men in China in 2014 before their 2015 plot.
 
Mrs. Sreyna allegedly called them from China, where she was living as the wife of a man there, in early January of last year, asking the three to find four girls in Cambodia who wanted to be married in China. Each girl’s parents would be given $1,000, and both Mrs. Soklim and Ms. Chandy would receive commissions ranging from $400 to $1,000 for each marriage they were able to facilitate, according to deputy prosecutor Um Sopheak.
 

Khoeun Srey Am, a 31-year-old factory worker in Phnom Penh, was eventually chosen to make the trip after agreeing to be married. Mrs. Sreyna transferred $3,000 via Wing to Mrs. Soklim and Ms. Chandy to pay Ms. Srey Am’s parents and organize her travel documents.
 
After landing in Kwang Chov province, China, on January 19, Ms. Srey Am was rescued by Chinese police working in cooperation with Cambodia’s Anti-human Trafficking police and was soon sent back home.
 
When she arrived, Ms. Srey Am called Ms. Chandy in order to retrieve family documents from her. She then allegedly refused to give them back until Ms. Srey Am paid her $10,000.
 
“Srey Am got angry and then sued Dul Chandy and Boeun Soklin for allegedly selling her to marry in China,” Mr. Sopheak said.  
 
Ms. Srey Am was not present at the hearing yesterday, but according to her answers during police questioning, she said she was lured by Ms. Chandy, Mrs. Soklin and Mrs. Sreyna into the marriage. She needed the money they offered to support her poor family.
 
“They are evil and unrighteous people. I would like to ask the court to punish them so they will not commit such an act to other people in future,” she said.
 
The three accused confessed to their mistakes, but said they did not know that their actions were unlawful. They requested the court reduce their sentences.
 
Mrs. Soklim said, “I did not know that this act was against the law. I would like to ask the court to reduce my sentence. I promise that I will no longer commit it again.”
  

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