Abdelrahman
About 7,000 individuals have been rescued from illegal call centers in Myanmar, awaiting transfer to Thailand, as announced by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Wednesday. This announcement coincided with the country’s intensified efforts to combat scam centers operating along its borders.
Thai police reported they are preparing to accommodate nearly 10,000 foreign nationals who have been liberated from these notorious scam operations. Myanmar, along with Cambodia and Laos, has recently become a stronghold for transnational crime syndicates running various online scams, including romance frauds, fake investments, and illegal gambling.
Jeremy Douglas from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) indicated the severity of the situation, stating, “It’s massive, and there are thousands of individuals involved, often transported through Thailand. If they can dismantle these compounds and eliminate the scams, it would be a significant achievement.”
The border region of Myawaddy in Myanmar, where the release of many foreign nationals is anticipated, is reportedly home to one of the largest clusters of scam compounds globally. Douglas highlighted the alarming scope of these operations, which have expanded internationally, ensnaring victims from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East into forced labor. According to UN estimates, scams targeting individuals in East and Southeast Asia resulted in financial losses ranging from $18 billion to $37 billion in 2023.
The UN has also reported that approximately 120,000 individuals in Myanmar and an additional 100,000 in Cambodia are potentially trapped in forced labor conditions related to online scams. Many of these victims are lured by false job opportunities promising high salaries.
Thailand has bolstered its efforts to thwart these operations, particularly following the high-profile kidnapping of a Chinese actor in January. Wang Xing, the 22-year-old abduction victim, was taken after arriving in Thailand under the pretense of a film audition.
In response to the escalating situation, Thai authorities recently severed internet, electricity, and fuel supplies to five areas in Myanmar known for illegal activities. The Myanmar military’s border guard force is reportedly feeling significant pressure to address the scam compounds, with Douglas noting, “They have reached a critical point where they feel compelled to intervene and shut down these operations.”
Approximately 200 Chinese nationals are scheduled to return to China on a China Southern Airlines flight, as stated by General Traisak Intarassamee, Thailand’s defense minister secretary. In the previous week, around 260 individuals identified as part of scam operations were deported from Myanmar, encompassing 20 different nationalities, including 138 Ethiopians.
Rescued Malaysian victims have shared harrowing accounts of their experiences, describing incidents of electrocution, caning, and confinement in dark rooms for failing to meet the expectations set by their captors. Judah Tana, the international director of the anti-human trafficking NGO Global Advance Projects, remarked on the severity of the abuse, saying, “There were extreme beatings, significant bruising; some even suffered broken bones. The sight of them was reminiscent of individuals emerging from a battlefield.”
