Over 270 Trafficking Victims in Myanmar Attempt Escape Over Fear of Returning to Scam Compounds
BANGKOK, Apr 15: Over 270 men and women, who had been rescued from forced labor in scam compounds in Myanmar two months ago, made a desperate attempt to escape their detention after fearing they would be sent back to the harsh conditions of the compounds, where they had endured abuse, torture, and exploitation. The group, mostly from Ethiopia and other African nations, walked out of their compound aiming for the river that separated them from Thailand, but unsure if they would make it across.
The escape attempt occurred on Sunday after guards suggested that the detainees could be returned to the scam compounds. One woman, who had been trafficked to Myanmar for a customer service job but was forced into online scams, expressed her desperation, saying, “We will kill ourselves instead of going back to them.”
Since February, authorities in Myanmar, Thailand, and China have been working together to rescue thousands of trafficked individuals from the illegal operations. While more than 7,000 people have been sent home, around 1,700 remain stuck in Myanmar. Many are still detained in facilities similar to the ones from which they were released.
In the case of the 270 detainees, their attempt to escape highlights the continued struggle and uncertainty faced by trafficking victims. After the escape, soldiers from a local militia group, the Democratic Kayin Buddhist Army (DKBA), confronted the group on the streets. Despite this, the DKBA reportedly agreed to send the detainees to Myawaddy, an area under the control of the Kayin Border Guard Force, from where they could eventually be repatriated to their home countries.
Human rights organizations have raised funds to help with their repatriation, and Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the detainees’ names have been added to the official repatriation list. Some victims, including those from Ethiopia, are expected to begin their journey home in the next few days.
However, the situation remains precarious, as many detainees are still uncertain about their future, unable to fully trust that the repatriation process will go as planned. “It’s really, really hard to trust,” said one man, expressing his skepticism about whether they will ever truly be freed.
