More than 7,000 people, many victims of human trafficking, are being stranded in Myanmar awaiting a repatriation after a big crackdown on scam centres. Held in Thailand’s border town in Mae Sot, the detainees are Chinese, Vietnamese, and Ethiopians who are entangled in cyber-fraud crimes perpetrated against them.
The jointly prosecuted case by Thailand, Myanmar and China comes after Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra told during her recent visit to Beijing she would root out these criminal networks. Manenha members had tricked many of the arrested into working in scam points under fake job postings, to discover themselves to be in virtual slavery—using victims for romance scams, fake investment schemes, and illegal gaming activity.
Government officials report of a developing humanitarian crisis in Thailand as it scrambles to deal with the overwhelming influx. “Handling thousands of victims requires international collaboration,” said Amy Miller of Acts of Mercy International. Thailand has also severed necessary services to Nec Sentres in Myanmar, to shut them down. 
More than half of the stranded people are Chinese, with Beijing taking the lead in repatriating them. Over 600 have been flown back already. Meanwhile, checkpoints in Mae Sot have been stepped up with the promotion of trafficking awareness.
Authorities from all three nations are to convene next week to sort out the logistics and guarantee a swift, but efficient, repatriation operation.
