The news media abound with reports of Taiwanese being lured to Cambodia with promises of high-paying jobs only to be forced to become involved in illegal online gambling or similar activities, while having their movements restricted or being imprisoned, abused or sexually assaulted. Some have been “sold” to other fraud rings like livestock, while others even had their organs harvested, reports have said.
In Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that at least 220 Taiwanese have been lured to the country, and police estimate that more than 2,000 are trapped in Cambodia and Myanmar.
This situation, which police call “abominable,” threatens the personal safety of people traveling abroad, and it also involves economic and social issues that urgently need to be remedied.
The Cambodian scam is a recruitment operation by online fraud syndicates, and its roots can be traced to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
The main base for fraud syndicates operating in Cambodia is the country’s biggest seaport in Sihanoukville. Named after former Cambodian king Norodom Sihanouk, the city is an important base of Beijing’s initiative. The Chinese-operated Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone has attracted investments in casinos, real estate and tourism.
As with other projects under the initiative, China initially lauded the prospects for Sihanoukville, saying…
