The Thai army has announced plans to repatriate 260 foreigners believed to have been victims of human trafficking and trapped in online scam centers in Myanmar. The rescued individuals are from 20 nationalities, including Ethiopia, Kenya, the Philippines, Malaysia, Pakistan, China, Indonesia, Nepal, and several countries in Africa and South Asia.
The Thai army is working with Myanmar’s authorities to repatriate the victims after they were rescued from a region controlled by the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army. The army said that those rescued will undergo questioning and enter a protection process while waiting for their return to their home countries.
Thailand has been cracking down on online scam centers in Southeast Asia, with cooperation from China. In 2023, an earlier crackdown led to the repatriation of 45,000 Chinese nationals suspected of involvement in scams in Myanmar’s northern Shan state. The Thai government is also considering expanding measures to cut off electricity, internet, and gas supplies to areas along the border with Cambodia.
Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has warned that Thailand will not set up another shelter for repatriated victims, but will instead work to question them before sending them back to their countries. The Thai government is committed to cracking down on scam networks in Southeast Asia and is working closely with China to achieve this goal.
As the number of online scams extracted tens of billions of dollars from victims worldwide, experts have emphasized the need for cooperation to combat human trafficking and cybercrime.
Source: https://thehill.com/homenews/ap/ap-business/ap-rescued-from-virtual-slavery-in-myanmars-online-scam-centers-260-foreigners-are-being-repatriated