Cambodian Police and Soldiers Guarded Scam Compounds, Enabled Slavery and Rape: Amnesty Report

Cambodian police and military officers served as private security guards in scam compounds where thousands were forced into online fraud, according to a new Amnesty International report. Survivors told the rights group that serving officers administered electric shocks and beatings to keep workers trapped. The guards often worked for security companies, forming a system that enabled slavery and rape inside the compounds. Amnesty alleges that these officers used electric batons and other violence to prevent escape, highlighting deep complicity between state forces and the criminal scam industry. The findings raise urgent questions about accountability and the rule of law in Cambodia, where the scam compound economy has grown rapidly. With victims from across Asia and beyond, the report underscores how official corruption fuels human trafficking and forced labor. As international pressure mounts, Cambodia faces calls to investigate and prosecute those responsible, but meaningful action remains uncertain.