Jakarta. Four Indonesian citizens from North Sumatra have pleaded for government assistance after allegedly being tortured and left stranded in Cambodia, raising fresh concerns over human trafficking involving Indonesian job seekers abroad.

A video that has gone viral on social media shows four young individuals -- including a teenager who identifies himself as Cikal Ramadhan -- claiming they are being held in Phnom Penh under dire conditions. In the footage, Cikal says he and his companions were abused by their employers and have run out of money, leaving them unable to buy food or return home.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Cikal made an emotional appeal to Binjai Mayor Amir Hamzah and Deputy Mayor Hasanul Jihadi to help facilitate their return.

"Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh to the honorable Mayor of Binjai, Mr. Amir Hamzah, and Deputy Mayor, Mr. Hasanul Jihadi. Sir, please help us. We are Binjai residents stranded in Cambodia. We haven’t eaten in three days. We were tortured at our workplace, sir. We have no money -- not even enough for food. Please, sir, help us return to our beloved city of Binjai," Cikal said in the video.

The three others have been identified as Taruna Bagaskara from West Binjai Subdistrict, Binjai City; and Riki and Atmaja from Sunggal Subdistrict, Deli Serdang Regency.

Cikal’s younger brother, Sultan Moris, confirmed the video’s authenticity and said his brother is currently seeking to return to Indonesia.

According to Sultan, Cikal traveled to Cambodia in mid-December 2024 after being promised a job in online gambling. However, the work turned out to involve online scamming, and Cikal allegedly endured psychological abuse and exploitative conditions.

“Cikal left on December 20, 2024. He worked for four months as a scammer in Cambodia. At first, he was promised a job in online gambling, but it turned out he was forced into scamming. I believe he feels deceived,” Sultan said on Thursday.

“He eventually fled from his workplace due to the mental pressure he faced there,” he added.

The Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh has since taken the four into its care while authorities arrange for their repatriation.

Back in Indonesia, Cikal’s grandmother, Nuraini, expressed deep concern for her grandson’s safety. She said she hopes the government will act quickly to bring him home.

“My only hope is for him to return safely. He’s an orphan -- both his parents have passed away,” she said.

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