What people face in Myanmar after release from forced labour

In a remarkable operation jointly conducted by authorities in Thailand, China, and Myanmar, over 7,000 individuals were rescued from cyber scam compounds in Myanmar. This operation was aimed at combating the increasingly rampant cyber scam activities, which have evolved into a growing humanitarian crisis. The coordinated effort highlights the international concern surrounding these illicit operations.

However, for many of the rescued individuals, what they initially believed to be their liberation has turned into the beginning of another nightmare. Thousands of young men and women from Asia, Europe, and Africa, freed from modern-day slavery last month, are now trapped in transformed scam centers and military camps controlled by armed militia groups, their fate uncertain. The situation underscores the complexities and challenges involved in dismantling these criminal networks.

These victims were initially lured with promises of high-paying jobs in Thailand, only to find themselves locked inside buildings and forced to sit in front of computers for up to 16 hours a day to carry out scams. Refusal to work could result in beatings, starvation, and electric shocks. These scams tricked people around the world into sending their life savings to fictitious romantic partners or investment opportunities. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that losses in Asia alone amounted to between $18 billion and $37 billion in 2023.

Following strong protests triggered by the kidnapping of a young Chinese actor, Beijing pressured Thai and Myanmar authorities to take action. The Thai government cut off the power supply, and government-backed armed groups controlling areas near the Myanmar-Thailand border released approximately 7,000 people. However, more than a month after the crackdown began, thousands more remain detained by armed groups in Myanmar, who arranged their release but have left them living in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions. Survivors, in secret calls, have expressed fears for their lives, citing rampant disease and unsafe environments, as they sleep on the floors of military camps or former scam compounds, facilities that are overcrowded and simply cannot accommodate so many people.

The hope of returning home depends on the resources available to each country. China sent a chartered plane on Thursday to a small airport in Mae Sot to pick up its citizens, but few other governments have taken similar action. Approximately 130 Ethiopians are waiting at a Thai military base, stranded due to a lack of $600 plane tickets. Their plight has drawn the attention of the U.S. State Department, and international human rights organizations have also called for their release, but Thai officials are not allowing people to cross the border unless their home countries arrange for their immediate departure. Although Thailand is coordinating the release and transfer of personnel with various embassies, it states that it can only process a maximum of 300 people per day, down from the initial 500. Advocates say that rescuing thousands of people from scam compounds does not stop the scams, and no bosses have been arrested. These compounds have the resources to cope with internet and power outages, relying on fuel generators and using satellite internet services provided by Elon Musk's Starlink.