Recovering drug addicts 'being abused in Cambodia'
26/01/2010
People attempting to beat their drug addictions in Cambodia are being subjected to abuse by the country's rehabilitation centres.
This is according to Human Rights Watvh, (HRW), which stated that guards in these establishments subject those staying in the facilities to sexual and physical abuse.
Additionally, forced labour is commonplace and these individuals live in "horrible conditions" and do not receive the help they should be getting to tackle their addictions, it added.
The claims have been denied by authorities in the country, which stated that the centres are there to protect, not hurt, its citizens.
"Individuals in these centres are not being treated or rehabilitated, they are being illegally detained and often tortured," Joseph Amon, director of the health and human rights division at HRW, stated.
HRW, which has been in operation for 30 years, aims to protect the rights of vulnerable individuals in countries across the globe.
Written by Clare Devlin
