Cambodian migrants kin to testify in trafficking case

Parents of Cambodian human trafficking victims who were rescued from fishing boats in the southern border province of Ranong have travelled to Thailand to testify for their children in court. “I just want to see [the lawsuit] end quickly so my son can come back home and hopefully receive some compensation,” said Gong Tu, 59, from the southwestern Cambodian province of Kampot. His 18-year-old son was promised a shore-based job in Thailand by a Cambodian broker two years ago. But six months later, Mr Gong Tu received a phone call from some of the fishing crew who had escaped from a boat, saying his son was at sea. The father then contacted local authorities. “It’s a big horizon out there. I don’t know how he was treated at sea. I just want to tell the judge how worried I was,” said the father, whose village is some 300 kilometres from Trat border province.” 

Keep reading