US seafood importers miss Judge’s deadline for responding to lawsuit brought by Cambodian victims of trafficking
“Seafood Firms Ordered to Respond to Cambodian Workers' Complaint”, 4 Aug 2016
Two American importers missed a federal judge's deadline for responding to a complaint by seven Cambodian laborers allegedly exploited while working in Thailand's seafood industry. Failing to comply with the order will result in a judgment favoring the plaintiffs…As of late July, the U.S. firms, Rubicon Resources and Wales amp; Co. Universe, had not responded to the complaint; their deadline passed last week…A law firm representing the…plaintiffs filed a complaint against the four companies on June 15. The Cambodians were recruited from their rural villages…and became victims of "human trafficking, forced labor, involuntary servitude and peonage"…Shocking levels of exploitation in Thailand's seafood industry have been exposed by journalists and human rights advocates in recent years. The industry benefits from the copious supply of cheap labor that comes to Thailand, mostly from Cambodia and Myanmar…In the complaint, the victims demand damages because of loss of work opportunities, assets and education…