An airlift operation has commenced to transport over 1,000 Chinese nationals who were employed at online scam centers in eastern Myanmar back to China. These workers were rescued and transported to Thailand before being flown to China on chartered flights. The coordinated efforts of Thailand, China, and Myanmar have led to the shutdown of these scam centers that defrauded victims worldwide through various fraudulent schemes.
It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of individuals from Southeast Asia and other regions were employed at similar centers in Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos. Many of these workers were deceived into virtual slavery after being recruited under false pretenses for different jobs.
Thai officials have indicated that up to 10,000 individuals may be repatriated from Myanmar due to their involvement in online scam centers. The repatriation process for Chinese nationals involves 16 scheduled flights, with batches of workers being transported from Myanmar to Thailand for processing before boarding flights to China.
Thai authorities are overseeing the evacuation and processing of workers from various nations who were rescued from scam centers. Last week, 260 individuals from 20 different countries, including many from Africa, were taken into Thai custody after being rescued.
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra assured Chinese leader Xi Jinping of Thailand's commitment to cracking down on scam networks during a recent visit to Beijing. Thailand has taken measures such as cutting off essential supplies to areas hosting scam centers in Myanmar to address national security concerns.
The organized repatriation of rescued workers from nations other than China is set to begin soon. The Border Guard Force in Myawaddy, controlled by the Karen ethnic minority, is facilitating the repatriation of foreign workers from Myanmar, although it has faced accusations of involvement in criminal activities.
Previous crackdowns on scam centers in Myanmar occurred in late 2023 following China's expressed concerns over illegal operations along the border. Ethnic guerrilla groups with ties to Beijing shut down many operations, leading to the repatriation of thousands of Chinese nationals suspected of involvement.
