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A combination of traditional dancing and modern celebrities drew a large Cambodian crowd to the anti-trafficking event
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March 27, 2007, marked the 200th anniversary of the landmark decision by the British Empire to abolish slavery.
But today there are more slaves than ever before – more than during the entire four centuries of the African slavery trade.
Modern slavery in the form of bonded labour, child labour and the deplorable trade in humans to serve the sex industry, exists across Asia. It affects men, women and especially children.
Cambodia is one of the countries most affected by modern-day slavery, as a country of destination, source and transit for the trafficking trade. Many people are not aware of the dangers of migration in search of work and are tricked or coerced into bondage.
On Friday evening, a coalition of local and international NGOs including World Vision organized a community concert in Phnom Penh parkland to raise awareness and motivation to stop the trafficking and report offenders.
The event was part of a worldwide effort to raise awareness on trafficking and slavery, dubbed “Freedom Day” by the coalition Stop the Traffik!
In Phnom Penh, the emphasis was on improving local knowledge of the traps and terrors of slavery. The crowd were handed brochures in Khmer on how to recognize trafficking situations, who to call (both national and regional hotlines), and how to protect themselves and their families from the risks.
Several of Cambodia’s top celebrities hosted the concert, sang and danced for a delighted crowd. As the sun went down, candles were lit and two films were shown – the first, a trailer for the movie “Amazing Grace”, the second, a Cambodian film from Ratnagiri province, “Away from home.”
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A face in the crowd - many in the audience had not known of the dangers of trafficking before
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Many in the audience who had stopped by out of curiosity had never heard about the dangers of trafficking before. "If I see something like this I will ring the hotline," said one man, clearly moved by the messages on offer.
Abid Gulzar, World Vision Asia-Pacific's anti-trafficking officer, helped to organise the event, as well as a separate awareness-raising visit to government dignitaries at the British Embassy earlier in the day. He believes that a combination of community action and policy change will be able to successfully combat sex trafficking in Cambodia.
"Contemporary forms of slavery can be abolished if we join the hands of governments and the public in anti-trafficking initiatives," he said.
Coalition members included: World Vision, UNIAP, LICADHO, Save the Children Australia, Chabdai, The British Embassy, Hagar, World Hope International
View trailer - Amazing Grace
More about human trafficking in Asia
