Despite ongoing crackdowns on online scam operations in Myanmar and Cambodia, investigations reveal limited effectiveness. On June 23, local time, the Thai civil society group, the Civil Society Network for Human Trafficking Victims (CSNHTV), estimated that over 5,300 individuals are still trapped in online scam hubs near the Myanmar-Thai border.
The organization stated, "A significant number of victims are confined in four facilities controlled by the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), a Myanmar ethnic armed group." Among those trapped, approximately 1,600 are Chinese, around 200 are Myanmar nationals, and 20 are Thai. Victims from the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brazil, Russia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe have also been reported.
CSNHTV noted, "Many scam operations have not been dismantled, nor have all remaining victims been rescued." They emphasized that these organizations continue to engage in online fraud and human trafficking, harming victims worldwide, including in the U.S. and Europe.
Scam operations in Southeast Asia lure foreigners with fake job advertisements, subsequently imprisoning them and forcing them into online investment scams or romance scams. Following the international spread of the issue last year, various governments initiated large-scale crackdowns.
Thailand led efforts last year to dismantle scam operations in the Myawaddy area of Myanmar, rescuing about 5,000 individuals. The Myanmar military government also highlighted its crackdown in October 2022, raiding the large scam hub known as KK Park and demolishing some buildings.
However, reports indicate that these crime hubs have not completely disappeared. An analysis by the Associated Press revealed that many buildings in KK Park remain intact or only partially damaged, and signs of construction or expansion have been observed in other scam facilities in the Myawaddy region this year.
A similar situation has emerged in Cambodia. Amnesty International reported this month that it identified 86 scam facilities in Cambodia, with evidence of government intervention in only 24 of them. Amnesty criticized the Cambodian government's failure to effectively investigate and shut down major scam operations and protect and support victims seeking to escape.
Neither the DKBA nor the Myanmar military government responded to Reuters' request for comment regarding CSNHTV's claims. Civil society and international human rights organizations report that criminal organizations continue to operate by relocating or partially shutting down some facilities to evade law enforcement.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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