The Thai army announced that approximately 260 people rescued from Myanmar and believed to have been trafficked into working in online scam centers will be repatriated. These individuals were victims of human trafficking, forced to participate in various online scams that extracted billions of dollars from victims worldwide. The crackdown on scam centers in Myanmar was initiated due to concerns from China, resulting in the repatriation of thousands of Chinese nationals suspected of involvement in illegal activities.
The rescued individuals come from 20 different nationalities, including Ethiopia, Kenya, the Philippines, and Malaysia. They were rescued by a Myanmar ethnic militia and brought to the Thai border for repatriation. The Thai government will question them to determine if they are victims of human trafficking before sending them back to their countries of origin.
Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that Thailand would not establish additional shelters for these individuals and would only repatriate those ready to return immediately. The government aims to gather information from the victims to aid in the investigation of trafficking and scam networks operating in the region. The Thai Prime Minister has collaborated with Chinese authorities to crack down on scam networks in Southeast Asia, especially those targeting Chinese nationals.
The Thai government has cut off essential services to areas along the borders with Myanmar to disrupt illegal activities and enhance national security. The government is considering expanding these measures to areas bordering Cambodia. The crackdown on online scam centers in Southeast Asia aims to prevent further exploitation of vulnerable individuals and dismantle criminal syndicates operating in the region.
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