Cambodia permits 33 companies to send workers abroad

PHNOM PENH, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The Cambodian government has permitted 33 private companies to send laborers to work in foreign countries, according to a government report.

The report released Tuesday by the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training said that in 2010 the ministry permitted 33 companies who arranged Cambodian laborers to work in several Asian countries.

It said 20 private companies were permitted to send workers to Malaysia with a total of 16,394, among them 13,872 are females.

Thailand is the second country where 11,224 Cambodian workers were sent by 10 permitted companies to work there in 2010, among them 4,920 are females.

South Korea was the third country for Cambodian laborers to work there with 2,116 workers.

Other sources, however, said the number of Cambodian workers in those countries is higher than the official record, especially, if accounted with those working illegally in Thailand.

According to the government's report, Cambodian laborers working in Thailand and Malaysia earn about 200 U.S. dollars per month, whereas in South Korea and Japan is between 800 and 1,000 U. S. dollars per month.

As of date, Cambodian workers are only sent to these four countries, but more targeted nations such as Kuwait, Qatar, Canada and Singapore are being negotiated.

On Monday, Prime Minister Hun Sen called for a crackdown on labor trafficking to Thailand, saying salary for workers status is no different for those being employed locally.

"We've had been a shortage of laborers recently, therefore, I would like to appeal to our people that there are many job opportunities in Cambodia," he said.

Hun Sen said people who chose to work in Cambodia could avoid abuse and mistreatment from employers in Thailand or would not risk arrest when crossing the border for working illegally.