Cambodian Seafarers

Three Cambodians captured by Somali pirates in 2012 still need help rebuilding their lives. They and their fellow crew members were among the longest-held hostages in Somalia, released in 2016 after almost five years. In 2012 Michael lived with them for several months on their hijacked tuna vessel, the Naham 3, before it gave out.

 

Em Phumanny, Ngem Sosan, and Kim Koem Hen (left-right, in the picture below) are all raising young families in Cambodia, working at a garment factory, a gas station, and on a road-work team respectively. Michael went to see them in November 2021 to hear how they were doing. They wound up on the Naham 3 in the first place because of an elaborate Cambodian labor-trafficking scheme in 2011.