33 trafficked Cambodian fishermen return from Indonesia

Another group of 33 Cambodian laborers, who were trafficked to work as illegal fishermen on fishing boats in Indonesia, returned home on Tuesday afternoon, Cambodian foreign ministry spokesman Chum Sounry said.

Their repatriation was made possible under the cooperation between the Cambodian embassy to Jakarta and the International Organization for Migration (IOM ), he said.

"The 33 laborers, who had suffered from human trafficking and forced labor on fishing vessels operating from Indonesia's Riau Islands, arrived at Phnom Penh International Airport by air on Tuesday at 4:10 p.m.," he said in a press statement.

Trafficked fishermen are frequently forced to work long hours and physically and psychologically abused. They are often unpaid and forced to serve on voyages for months or even years.

Last month, Cambodia rescued 230 trafficked laborers from Thai fishing vessels operating from the Indonesian island of Ambon.