Over 5,300 people trapped in Myanmar scam centres: rights group
The Ongoing Trafficking Crisis in Myanmar
More than 5,300 people remain trapped in online scam centres in Myanmar near the Thai border, despite a multinational crackdown in the region last year, a human rights group says.
Trapped Foreign Nationals
The Thai-based Civil Society Network for Human Trafficking Victim Assistance (CSNHTV) sent a letter to Thai police urging them to take action. It said many of those trapped were foreign nationals held at four locations inside areas controlled by the Myanmar Democratic Karen Buddhist Army militia.
- An estimated 1,600 people trapped are Chinese nationals
- About 200 are people of Myanmar
- People from the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brazil, Russia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe are also trapped
The Scale of the Problem
According to the CSNHTV, many of these compounds have yet to be dismantled or subjected to rescue operations to free all remaining victims. The syndicates continue to engage in online fraud and human trafficking, causing harm to victims around the world, particularly in the United States and Europe.
A Litany of Abuse
A UN report in February said the facilities are mostly staffed by foreign nationals who have been trafficked by criminal gangs and subjected to abuse, including:
- Torture and other ill-treatment
- Sexual abuse and exploitation
- Forced abortions
- Food deprivation
- Solitary confinement
“The litany of abuse is staggering and at the same time heart-breaking,” UN Human Rights chief Volker Turk said.