Prostitution in Cambodia

Prostitution in Cambodia is illegal, but prevalent. A 2008 Cambodian Law on Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation[1] has proven controversial, with international concerns regarding human rights abuses resulting from it, such as outlined in the 2010 Human Rights Watch report.[2][3]

The comprehensive Law on Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation[1] was enacted in 2008. It punishes the trafficking of people, the managing of prostitutes and the maintaining of a brothel, as well as soliciting in public and distributing pornography. The mere act of exchanging sex for money is not outlawed.

The Women’s Network for Unity is a Cambodian sex worker organization which was established in 2000. It lobbies for legal and human rights and better working conditions for sex workers and aims to amend the 2008 law.[4]

In 2016 UNAIDS estimated there to be 34,000 prostitutes in the country,[5] many from Vietnam.[6][7][8]

  1. ^ a b "Law on Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation". Scribd. 15 February 2008.
  2. ^ "Cambodia: Sex Workers Face Unlawful Arrests and Detention". Human Rights Watch. 21 July 2010. Archived from the original on 4 July 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  3. ^ Off the Streets: Arbitrary Detention and Other Abuses against Sex Workers in Cambodia (PDF). Human Rights Watch (Report). July 2010.
  4. ^ Paula Stromberg (4 March 2012). "Sex work in Cambodia". DailyXtra.
  5. ^ "Sex workers: Population size estimate - Number, 2016". www.aidsinfoonline.org. UNAIDS. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  6. ^ Vu, J.B. (3 November 2010). "Thousands of Vietnamese women and children sold as "sex slaves"". AsiaNews.
  7. ^ "Human Trafficking & Modern-day Slavery Socialist Republic of Vietnam". Human Trafficking, Modern-day Slavery, Forced Labor & Debt... GVnet.
  8. ^ Nguyen Dinh Thang; Vu Quoc Dung; Pastor Truong Tri Hien; Nguyen Cao Quyen; Nguyen Quoc Khai; Ngo Thi Hie (May 2008). Vietnam Country Report Background Information and Recommendations (PDF) (Report). Vietnam Study Group. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 September 2011.