Reuters
Human trafficking is a critical and pervasive problem in Thailand, affecting thousands of vulnerable people each year, with neighbouring countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos serving as havens for transnational crime syndicates operating online scams such as fraudulent investments and illegal gambling.
According to the UN, criminal gangs have trafficked hundreds of thousands of people to scam compounds in Southeast Asia, including along the Thai-Myanmar border. There, those affected are coerced into working in illegal operations, frequently enticed by the prospect of a comfortable office job. Victims of trafficking are then detained against their will once they arrive and forced to carry out online scams that target individuals globally to generate income. Research conducted by the US Institute of Peace found that these scams bring in $63.9 billion annually worldwide, with Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos accounting for the vast majority of that total ($39 billion). As a result, many individuals seeking better opportunities fall victim to traffickers who promise jobs but instead are forced into labour or sexual exploitation.
Over the past week, Thailand has received 260 human trafficking victims, with more than half being Ethiopians from Myanmar, discovered in a massive repatriation that comes amid a mounting crackdown on scam centres. Yet tens of thousands of people may still be residing in illegal scam compounds, as the head of Thailand’s anti-trafficking agency cautioned that it might take months before all foreign nationals are repatriated.
Rescued victims stated that when they failed to meet the scam company’s targets, they were confined in a dark room, electrocuted, and caned. “There were extreme beatings, lots of bruising. There were broken bones,” said Judah Tana, international director of the anti-human trafficking NGO Global Advance Projects, while 19-year-old Yotor, who gave only one name, had cuts along his leg, said, “I got a lot of punishment, and I received electric shocks every day.”
Although these illicit operations have been in place for years, Thailand renewed efforts last month to crack down on the operations following a high-profile kidnapping in Myanmar of a Chinese actor in January. Wang Xing, 22, was kidnapped after travelling to Thailand for what he thought was a casting call with movie producers. Since then, Thailand has restricted fuel sales and shut off internet and power on February 4th to five locations inside Myanmar that are known to be centres for Myanmar scam syndicates.
Ultimately, this latest crackdown in Thailand has revealed the extensive scale of human trafficking across Southeast Asia, underscoring the urgent need for stronger global efforts to combat forced labour and protect vulnerable populations.