TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi met with Cambodian Police Chief General Neth Savouen asking for cooperation in preventing human trafficking after a case seized the public spotlight recently.

On Sunday, July 31, the Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh evacuated 62 Indonesian citizens suspected of being victims of human trafficking who were employed in investment scam and online gambling companies in Cambodia. They were held captive and tortured.

Based on the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry’s press statement on Tuesday, August 2, Retno said four points of agreement with Savouen in Phnom Penh; dealing with 62 Indonesian citizens who have been released, addressing what's left, cooperation in law enforcement, and cooperation in taking preventive measures to prevent similar cases from recurring.

The recent human trafficking case was not the first in Phnom Penh. In 2019, 119 Indonesians who fell victims to employment scams were repatriated. The figure increased this year. As of July 2022, 133 of 291 victims had been repatriated.

Responding to the Indonesian Foreign Minister’s request, the Cambodian Police Chief said he committed to providing his cooperation. It was agreed that after the meeting, the relevant authorities between the two countries would immediately hold a technical meeting to discuss a joint investigation, legal assistance, the appointment of contact persons to expedite the handling of such cases, and making an MoU of cooperation against human trafficking.

DANIEL AHMAD

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News