Amnesty International has accused Cambodian police and military officers of working as private security guards in “scam compounds” where thousands of people were forced to labour in the online fraud industry, reports the rights group.
The organisation says that survivors of the compounds described how serving officers administered electric shocks and beatings to keep detainees under control. According to the report, the guards were employed by security companies that were part of a wider system that enabled slavery and rape within the facilities.
Some of the guards reportedly used electric batons to keep people trapped, a method that the rights group says was routinely employed to enforce compliance and silence dissent among the forced workers.
Amnesty’s findings highlight a network of private security that has allegedly facilitated the exploitation of thousands of individuals in Cambodia’s burgeoning online fraud sector, a sector that has drawn international attention for its use of forced labour.
The report calls for an independent investigation into the allegations and urges the Cambodian government to take action against those who have abused their positions of authority to perpetuate human‑rights violations.
<small>Source: The Guardian — read the original story there.</small>
