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the largest section of migrants at 30 percent 34 . The children/youth may migrate to cities
of their own volition to seek work, to escape poor family relations, or are sent by parents
to find work. In several cases, they regularly remit money home to their families. An
estimated 1.5 million rural people depend upon migrant remittances (mostly from women)
as their major source of income 35 .
Unsafe migration patterns and the depth of poverty in Cambodia consequently make the
chil-dren/youth more vulnerable to trafficking. Human trafficking in Cambodia is far from
a ho-mogenous phenomenon - trafficking networks in Cambodia range from small-scale
ad hoc activities to large-scale and well-organised operations 36 . Although a new antitrafficking
law was passed in 2008, exploitation continues. Trafficking is predominantly
directed towards women for commercial sexual exploitation and children and women for
domestic work, though, men are increasingly being targeted and singled out for forced
labour. Some children are trafficked for commercial begging groups, although these
may be younger and destined to later move into sex work. Cambodia has been a noted
destination for child sex tourism. Although this problem is receiving increased attention,
inadequate legislation and enforcement mechanisms, as well as endemic poverty, have
meant that child prostitution continues.
Source provinces for domestic migration and trafficking in Cambodia are usually
highly popu-lated rural areas in close proximity to urban/tourist centres, especially
those susceptible to economic downturn such as that caused by severe droughts
and flooding. Provinces commonly perceived by the NGO community in Cambodia as
source provinces are Kampong Cham, Prey Veng, Kandal, Takeo, Battambang and
Phnom Penh (particularly from urban slums).
Substance Abuse
The use of substances 37 by street children/youth in Cambodia, although functional in
some circumstances, increases health risks and often leads to exposure to violence and
exploitation 38 . Drugs are functionally used by the street children/youth to keep awake
for work, to anaesthe-tise physical or emotional pain, to diminish hunger etc. The drugs
used are usually those which are most readily available and cheap, and, once involved,
there is a risk that the children/youth, voluntarily or under duress, become part of the
CSCN
22 CSCN Street Children Profile 2009