Vietnam wants Cambodian ‘action’ on forced labor problem

Son told a meeting with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn on Tuesday that he hoped Cambodia would help Vietnamese people in the country stabilize their lives and integrate into the local community, according to a statement from Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Sokhonn is on an official visit to Vietnam. He is co-chairing the 20th meeting of the Vietnam – Cambodia Joint Committee on Economic, Cultural, Scientific and Technical Cooperation Tuesday and Wednesday.

Son asked Cambodia to resolve a number of cases in which Vietnamese citizens have been scammed and forced to work illegally at entertainment business establishments in Cambodia.

Vietnamese and Cambodian authorities cooperated last year to rescue more than 1,000 Vietnamese citizens illegally conned by brokers to work in Cambodia.

Cambodian police have also launched a campaign to crack down on criminal organizations that detain and coerce illegal foreign workers in the country.

Sokhonn affirmed that Cambodia will treat all people of Vietnamese and other foreign origins in Cambodia equally.

The two sides agreed to promote bilateral cooperation and connectivity between the two economies by strengthening coordination between localities, and completing the demarcation of the remaining 16% of the border that has not yet been completed.

The two countries also affirmed the importance of maintaining peace, security and stability in the East Sea, internationally known as the South China Sea, by ensuring the freedom and safety of navigation and overflight peacefully, in accordance with international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS 1982).

This includes the full implementation of the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) towards achieving an effective, substantive and consistent Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

As joint-chairs, Foreign Minister Son and Cambodian Deputy PM Sokhonn oversaw the 20th session of the Vietnam – Cambodia Joint Committee on Economic, Cultural, Scientific and Technical Cooperation.

The two sides agreed to strengthen security and defense cooperation, maintain the momentum of bilateral trade and investment growth, and consider drafting appropriate policies to remove difficulties and obstacles for businesses.

The two countries also agreed to increase cooperation between localities in many fields within the framework of the Cambodia – Laos – Vietnam Development Triangle (CLV), as well as in the search, gathering and repatriation of Vietnamese soldiers and experts who died in Cambodia.