57 casino workers escaped from Cambodia's O-Smach Resort on Sunday, fleeing months of alleged forced labor and hostile working conditions. The workers used metal bed frame rods to fight off security guards during their escape from the guarded complex in Oddar Meanchey province.

Two security guards were injured during the incident when workers overwhelmed them to break free from the facility. According to Radio Free Asia, workers at the site regularly faced abuse and harsh conditions.

The US Department of Treasury sanctioned the resort and its owner, Ly Yong Phat and L.Y.P. Group, in September for alleged connections to human trafficking and forced labor. The facility, located near the Cambodia-Thailand border, allegedly operated online gambling scams while forcing victims to work up to 15 hours daily under strict quotas.

Workers reported being lured with false job opportunities, having their documents confiscated, and facing severe abuse including:

• Electric shocks
• Physical beatings
• Demands for ransom
• Threats of being sold to other criminal operations

Between 2022 and 2024, investigations revealed multiple incidents of worker abuse, with two reported deaths from victims jumping from buildings within the resort. Many of the escaped workers, primarily from Nepal and Pakistan, are now seeking employment at casinos in Poipet, approximately 124 miles away.

Local police have interviewed the escaped workers and are investigating the incident. This follows previous rescue operations at the resort, including one conducted in March of last year.

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