From Symbolic Compliance to Substantive Protection: A Comparative Study of Cambodia and Vietnam’s Anti-Trafficking Laws

Author: Le, Minh Hoang

Abstract: Human trafficking in Southeast Asia remains entrenched, with Cambodia serving as a hub for scam compounds and Vietnam as both a source country and legal reformer. Cambodia’s 2008 law illustrates symbolic compliance – strong on paper but undermined by corruption, weak enforcement, and victim criminalization. Vietnam’s 2011 law, amended in 2024 to codify the non-punishment principle and expand reintegration, signals progress yet faces challenges in victim identification, reintegration, and cross-border cooperation. This article contrasts the two systems, highlighting Cambodia’s failures and Vietnam’s reform potential, and concludes with recommendations for achieving substantive, victim-centered anti-trafficking governance.

Keywords: ASEAN, anti-trafficking law, Cambodia, human trafficking, non-punishment principles, cam compounds, symbolic compliance, Vietnam