It punishes the trafficking of people, the managing of prostitutes and the maintaining of a brothel, as well as soliciting in public and distributing pornography.
It lobbies for legal and human rights and better working conditions for sex workers and aims to amend the 2008 law.
During the Khmer Rouge years (1975–1979) prostitution was completely banned and punishable by death resulting in its virtual elimination in a highly totalitarian social system.
Norodom Sihanouk had many reservations about the whole UNTAC operation, for the massive presence of UN foreign troops led in his eyes to the abuse and dishonor of Cambodian women.
[3][10] The number of prostitutes in Cambodia rose from about 6,000 at the time of the 1991 Paris Peace Accords, to over 20,000 after the arrival of UNTAC personnel in 1992, and declined to between 4,000 and 10,000 following their withdrawal.
Pimps are reported to imprison young children who are virgins, not putting them to work until they have been presented to a series of bidders such as high-ranking military officers, politicians, businessmen and foreign tourists.
[15] The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency has extradited American sex tourists back home for prosecution.
[26] Despite the social stigma cast on prostitutes, paying for sex is very common among men in Cambodia – while Khmer culture demands female virginity, it links masculinity to sexual activity, and as a result, prostitutes are the object of most young men's sexual encounters throughout their youth and early adulthood.
Factors contributing to this include poverty, the presence of other STIs which facilitate HIV transmission, and a highly mobile workforce.
[35][36] Mam ran the foundation AFESIP, which has been influential in helping the police raid hotels and kidnap their employees.
Cambodian adults and children migrate to other countries within the region and increasingly to the Middle East for work; many are subjected sex trafficking.
[41] Vietnamese women and children, many of whom are victims of debt bondage, travel to Cambodia and are subjected to sex trafficking.
NGOs report criminal gangs transport some Vietnamese victims through Cambodia before they are exploited in Thailand and Malaysia.