FIFTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL FORCED INTO SLAVERY
15 year-old Khmer (Kampuchian) girl escaped to report to Pattaya Immigration Police. She claimed she was forced to be a slave worker by other Khmers.

On the 17th May 2007, at 11.00 am, Miss Kanokwan Thongnak, Social worker of Chonburi, took Miss Leena (15), a Khmer citizen, to ask for help from Pol.Col. Ithipol Ithisarnronachai, Pattaya Immigration Superintendent, because she was conned by a group of Khmer people who brought her to work in Pattaya. She did not get any money and was starving.

Miss Leena reported that a Khmer man told her that if she came to Pattaya to be a salesgirl, she could earn an income at least 10,000 baht Soi a month. However, she had pay a 2,500 baht fee for entering the country. If she did not have the money, she could come to work first and the fee would be deducted from her income.

She believed the man and followed him to Thailand by sneaking through the border at Sa-Kaew province. Then, Mrs. Tor Chan Thy (31), a Khmer citizen, took over and brought her to Pattaya to sell toys. She let her stay on the third floor, room No. 307, of Surat Apartment, Pornpraphanimitr, Moo 5, Nongprue, Banglamung.

After ten days, Miss Leena realized that she was cheated because she never received any money. She had only three meals a day if she met her quota of 1,000 baht. If she did not earn at least 1,000 baht per day, she was scolded, beaten up and not given food. She could not stand the situation. So, she managed to escape and seek help.

Pol.Col. Ithipol Ithisarnronachai, Pattaya Immigration Superintendent, received the message and commanded Pol.Capt. Archeep Jaroensantisuk, Investigator, to work with Pol.Capt. Rote-Sak Nai-Phongsri, Deputy Inspector, and the police team to search the room. Police found Mrs.Tor Chan Thy (31), a Khmer Citizen, whose name the room was in, with her 7 year-old daughter. Mr. Jandee (28) and Mrs. Chongkom (28) with a four year-old daughter and one month old baby son were also in the room. All of them were Khmers, illegally living in Thailand. Many fluorescent toys, monkey toys and a Polaroid camera were found in the room. Police have kept them as evidence.

The investigation found that Mr.Jandee and Mrs.Chongkom, with the babies, paid a 2,500 baht fee to enter Thailand to sell toys and take pictures of tourists in Pattaya to make money. Both of them were approached by a boyfriend of Mrs. Tor Chan Thy, who took them to Pattaya. Mr. Jandee is Mrs. Tor Chan Thy's cousin. He took care of the children and other Khmers who had come to sell toys in the street. If anyone could not make the target, he or she would be deprived of food and beaten up.

After the primary investigation, police sent all of them to be processed by law and they were charged with illegally entering the country. They will be deported and police will extend the investigation to arrest other Khmers who have entered Thailand, illegally.

Hundreds of heavily-armed police prevented workers entering Phnom Penh to attend the May Day rally, a serious restriction on freedom of movementIn Thailand in 2006, there were 37.142 Cambodian workers including 130.000 illegal people and the average salary is $150.

Pattaya Daily News