Illustrative image (File photo: AFP) Phnom Penh (VNA) – Cambodia has discovered 33 pregnant Cambodian womenwho were carrying babies on behalf of Chinese clients during a raid on anillegal commercial surrogacy operation, police said on June 23.
Five people, including a Chinese, were arrested, according to director of PhnomPenh’s anti-trafficking office Keo Thea, adding that some had given birth whilesome remain pregnant.
Each woman was promised 10,000 USD for the service, he said.
Cambodian women will be taken to a social caring center while the five suspectswill appear in court on June 24.
China has loosened its policy of having only one child per family in two recentyears. The need for reproductive health services in the country is rising as itis estimated that 90 million women are allowed to have one more baby. Sincesurrogacy is illegal in China, many financially capable families find it abroadfor children.
Southeast Asian countries have long been popular addresses for Chinese couplesto find and hire women bearing children for them because the medical careservices are relatively cheap while many poor women need additional incomes andthe legal regulations are not really strict.
However, officials from regionalnations have begun to step up campaigns to stop this practice.
In Cambodia, commercial surrogacyservices were banned from 2016 after neighboring Thailand forbade it ayear earlier. -VNA
VNA
