More than 5,300 people are reported to still be held inside online scam centres close to the Myanmar-Thai border, according to a June 22 communication from the Civil Society Network for Human Trafficking Victim Assistance (CSNHTV) to Thai police. The group said its concerns follow large-scale rescues conducted in the region more than a year ago, while significant numbers of victims remain at a small number of compounds controlled by an armed group in Myanmar.
The CSNHTV letter said many of those held were foreign nationals located at four sites situated within territory under the control of a Myanmar militia. The group provided an estimate of nationalities among the trapped, saying the total includes around 1,600 Chinese nationals, some 200 Burmese, 20 Thais, and people from the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brazil, Russia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe.
Scam centres in parts of Southeast Asia, including facilities in Myanmar and Cambodia, conduct illegal online schemes that defraud people around the world and generate billions of dollars in annual revenue, the United Nations says. CSNHTV noted that many of these operations are run by foreign individuals who were trafficked to the sites by criminal gangs and who often work in oppressive conditions and endure abuse.
Thailand led a regional effort last year to dismantle many of the large scam hubs along its borders. Authorities extracted about 5,000 people from sprawling scam centres in the Myawaddy area of Myanmar. Despite that intervention, the CSNHTV says large-scale illegal operations have persisted and that significant numbers of victims continue to be confined.
In its submission to Thai law enforcement, the CSNHTV said a substantial portion of the remaining victims are housed in compounds located in areas under the control of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) militia. The group warned that continued inaction leaves syndicates free to perpetuate online fraud and human trafficking.
"Many of these compounds have yet to be dismantled or subjected to rescue operations to free all remaining victims," the CSNHTV wrote.
"As a result, these syndicates continue to engage in online fraud and human trafficking, causing harm to victims around the world, particularly in the United States and Europe," the group added.
Two DKBA officials did not respond to calls seeking comment. A spokeswoman for Myanmar’s military-backed government, which has publicly announced a crackdown on scam operations, also did not immediately respond to questions.
The CSNHTV has asked Thai police to take action to ensure remaining victims are rescued and that the compounds are dismantled, noting that without additional enforcement the criminal networks can continue to operate across borders and inflict harm on victims and communities abroad.