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More than 7,000 foreigners rescued from online scam centers in Myanmar are stranded at hotels and the sites from which they were freed, as their respective governments are not ready to accept them, according to a pro-junta militia that controls the region.
They were rescued from the Chinese-run scam hubs along the border with Thailand in Kayin state’s Myawaddy township.
Over half of the foreigners are Chinese nationals, while the remainder are from 26 other countries, said the ethnic Border Guard Force, or BGF.
However, their repatriation via Thailand has been delayed as their respective governments are “reluctant to accept them,” said BGF Information Officer Lt. Col. Naing Maung Zaw.
“If around 500 people could be repatriated each day, we would intensify our rescue and arrest operations,” he said. “Initially, all relevant [governments] pledged to cooperate in this process, but in reality, they are reluctant to accept them. It’s a significant challenge for us.”
According to the junta, the foreign nationals are from countries including China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Pakistan, India, Uganda, Ethiopia, Nepal, Thailand, Rwanda, Kenya, Kazakhstan and Cambodia.
The BGF is holding them at KK Park, Myawaddy Sports Complex, BGF Command Office and Ra Htike Company Office in Shwe Kukko town, the militia said.
So far, only officials from the Indonesian Embassy in Thailand have accepted their citizens. The 64 Indonesian victims were handed over at the Myawaddy Friendship Bridge No. 2 on Thursday and will be taken to their embassy in Bangkok, said Lt. Col. Naing Maung Zaw.
Call for cooperation
Meanwhile, Thai Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai urged relevant governments to “immediately” repatriate their more than 7,000 nationals held by the BGF, and called on them to “cooperate” with Thailand, according to a Tuesday report by The Nation.
He said those who are not guaranteed repatriation by their respective governments “will not be allowed to enter Thailand.”
More than 4,800 of the rescued foreigners are Chinese nationals, but only 600 out of them have been repatriated so far, The Nation reported.
Thailand’s Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said that a trilateral meeting between Myanmar, Thailand, and China “will be held soon,” during which the repatriation of the remaining Chinese nationals will be discussed.
RFA attempted to reach the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar for comment on the delay in repatriating its nationals, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Lt. Col. Naing Maung Zaw said the prolonged detention of several different nationals in one place could lead to “health, mental and physical problems.”
“We aren’t hesitating to repatriate them — we want it to happen immediately,“ he said. ”However, the respective governments are causing delays, which in turn forces us to slow down our operations.”
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Lt. Col. Naing Maung Zaw emphasized that the BGF will continue to work towards eradicating online scam operators in its territory.
‘Pig butchering’
The thousands of people were rescued amid moves by various authorities to shut down scam centers that have flourished in different parts of Southeast Asia for several years.
The scamming, known as “pig butchering” in China, involves making contact with unsuspecting people online, building a relationship with them and then defrauding them. Researchers say billions of dollars have been stolen this way from victims around the world.
Huge fraud operation complexes are often staffed by people lured by false job advertisements and forced to work, sometimes under threat of violence, rescued workers and rights groups say.
China, home to many of the victims of the scams, has in recent weeks worked to spur authorities in its southern neighbors to take action against the criminal enterprises.
Researchers have said governments and businesses across the region have been enabling the operations by failing to take action against the profitable flows they generate.
The rescues came around a month after China’s Public Security Bureau stated on Jan. 26 that it will increase cooperation with relevant countries to crack down on online scam gangs and arrest criminals.
Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.