MAE SOT, Thailand — A group of 84 Indonesians, previously held in fraudulent operation centers in Myanmar, are poised to return to Indonesia. This comes amid the broader effort to repatriate thousands of workers entrapped by similar scams in the region, putting a strain on local resources. These individuals, held in Myawaddy, a town on Myanmar’s border, were freed as part of a joint crackdown by authorities from Thailand, Myanmar, and China.
The Indonesians arrived in Mae Sot, a Thai border city, via two buses on Thursday, where they underwent health checks and identity verifications. It is believed that hundreds of thousands have been deceived into working in countries like Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos. They were coerced into engaging in worldwide scams involving deceptive relationships, fake investment opportunities, and unlawful gambling. Promised legitimate jobs, many found themselves in conditions akin to slavery.
The Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry announced that the group, comprising 69 men and 15 women, is in good health. They are scheduled to return to Jakarta on three commercial flights on Friday. While the ministry previously noted that approximately 270 Indonesians were stranded after fleeing scam centers in Myanmar, the reasons for only 84 being repatriated remain unclear.
Judha Nugraha, head of Indonesian citizen protection, disclosed that around 6,800 Indonesians have fallen prey to fraudulent employment promises. These scams have typically led them to participate unwittingly in unauthorized online gambling or fake investment activities across Myanmar and other nations over recent years.
Triggered by a high-level meeting in Beijing between Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Chinese President Xi Jinping in February, this crackdown represents a committed resolve to dismantle these scam networks. In response, Thailand has interrupted utilities like electricity, internet, and gas to several Myanmar regions harboring these scam operations.
Recently, over 600 Chinese nationals were repatriated. Earlier efforts facilitated the movement of around 260 people from diverse nations, including Ethiopia, Brazil, and the Philippines, from Myanmar into Thai jurisdiction. While many have returned to their homelands, over 100 are still awaiting repatriation in Thailand.
The magnitude of this operation is testing Thailand’s resources, causing delays for those yet to be repatriated. As the potential for a humanitarian issue looms, officials from the involved countries are scheduled to convene on Friday to refine the logistics of ongoing efforts along the border.
