Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime 59d ago

In this episode of Mekong Matters we dive into Cambodia’s soaring debt crisis and its devastating human rights impacts. Discover how predatory lending and aggressive debt collection are turning poverty into profit, while families face food insecurity, child labor, and even trafficking. We’re joined by Am Sam Ath, Operations Director at LICADHO, to unpack the research and real-life stories behind this crisis. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 02:30 Scale of Household Debt in Cambodia 03:27 Why Do People Take High-Interest Loans? 04:55 Who Finances this Debt? 07:04 Online Loans and Predatory Lending 08:50 Debt Bondage and Exploitation 11:10 Driver for Human Trafficking 12:12 Government Response 13:34 Breaking the Cycle and Solutions This podcast has been funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The views expressed in this publication are the author's alone and are not necessarily the views of the Australian Government. #Cambodia #microfinance #debtcrisis #humanrights #MekongMatters