A Thai-based human rights group, the Civil Society Network for Human Trafficking Victims (CSNHTV), has sent a letter to Thai police calling for action. According to the group, over 5,300 people are still being held in online scam centers in Myanmar, near the Thai border, despite a previous multinational crackdown.
The organization states that many victims are foreign nationals, held at four locations within areas controlled by the Karen Democratic Buddhist Army militia. Among them, an estimated 1,600 are Chinese citizens, around 200 are Myanmar nationals, along with victims from the Philippines, Taiwan (China), Malaysia, Brazil, Russia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe.
“Many of these areas have yet to be dismantled or rescued to free all remaining victims,” CSNHTV stressed. “Therefore, these criminal organizations continue to operate online scams and human trafficking, harming victims worldwide, especially in the U.S. and Europe.”
Scam centers in Southeast Asia, including Myanmar and Cambodia, carry out online fraud schemes targeting global victims. According to a UN report in February, these facilities are mostly run by foreigners trafficked by criminal gangs, who endure various forms of abuse.
The report documented cases of “torture and ill-treatment, sexual abuse and exploitation, forced abortion, starvation, solitary confinement, and other serious human rights violations.”
“The list of abuses is both staggering and heartbreaking,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk. “Instead of being protected, cared for, rehabilitated, and provided access to justice and compensation, victims often face skepticism, stigma, and even further punishment.”
