Story:: February 19, 2025
::Mueang Tak District, Thailand
::Myanmar Scam Center Escape Center Reminiscing the Notorious Crime Court
Faysal/21-year-old victim of Bangladesh scam
“I asked one of my colleagues from this place, what was going on there? What was work? He told me about punches, electric shocks. At night, I told (can’t hear clearly) that I wanted to go back to my country. I don’t want to work .”
“We are not liars. We are victims. They use us. If someone doesn’t want to work with them, they say in Myanmar, in Chinese, they are one of the biggest markets, they sell organs, human organs, kidneys, eyes. Where to wait. They warn us that if you don’t work with us, we can (do) your body.”
Yotor/19-year-old compound victim of Ethiopian scam
“I’ve been punished a lot, like being shocked every day, electric shock. I get punches every day. Nothing isn’t, they just want to punish us and then punish us. Because, like, we’re working without paycheck 18 hours, like they don’t allow us to contact our family.”
“I’ve been punished a lot,” said Yotor, 19. “I get electric shocks every day. ”
Yotor and his fellow countrymen are one of 260 people, most of whom are victims of human trafficking, who were sent from Myanmar to Thailand last week because of the transnational repression at the center of scams along the border between the two countries.
Over the years, according to the United Nations, criminal gangs have trafficked thousands of people in Southeast Asia, including the Thailand-Mianmar border, and victims have been forced to engage in illegal online operations.
But Thai authorities launched a new substitute last month after the kidnapping of Chinese actor Wang Xing, who was lured to Thailand for his lucrative agency work. Later, he was found near the Myawaddy town of Myawaddy and returned home.
Thai Prime Minister Paetontarn Shinawatra said on Wednesday that about 7,000 people were rescued from the scam in Myanmar and were waiting to be transferred to Thailand.
Among them, about 600 Chinese nationals will be sent home on Thursday from the small Thai border town of Mae Sot, Thailand’s Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said.
Some people rescued from the scam say they are forced to work nearly 20 hours a day using instant messaging apps like WhatsApp.
“When the client said ‘I love you’, we started washing his brain how to make money,” said Faisal, 21, of Bangladesh.
But when scam workers were unable to reach their goals, they were beaten.
“We are not liars,” Fisal said. “We are victims.”
