6,000+ held captive in Myanmar’s human trafficking networks: report
The Civil Society Network and international agencies call on Thailand’s rights commission to step in as Mae Sot remains a key transit point for Myanmar-based criminal syndicates
A report from the Civil Society Network for Victim Assistance in Human Trafficking, released on Tuesday, revealed that more than 6,000 people from 21 countries are being held captive in Myanmar.
The victims, including 3,900 Chinese nationals, are reportedly subjected to severe physical and psychological abuse, with their families facing exorbitant ransom demands.
The report identifies Mae Sot in Tak province as a key transit hub for human trafficking. Chinese transnational criminal syndicates reportedly exploit this area with support from local armed groups, including Myanmar’s Karen Border Guard Force (BGF), previously known as the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA).
On Friday, the Civil Society Network, along with representatives from nine countries – Kenya, Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Laos, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan – submitted an open letter online to Thailand’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) asking for urgent intervention to rescue trafficking victims in Myanmar.
Many victims were lured to Thailand by false promises of well-paying jobs and subsequently trafficked to Myanmar. In distressing messages to their families, the victims described repeated torture, including electrocution, threats of murder and organ harvesting.
A Laotian victim shared a harrowing account through the Civil Society Network:
“We are victims tricked into working in Myanmar. We are suffering both physically and mentally. If we fail to meet their demands, we are beaten and shocked with electricity. We’ve sought help from Lao authorities, but they told us to endure. We don’t know who else to turn to, so we appeal to Thai and Chinese authorities – please have mercy and help us escape this hell.”
Victims report enduring brutal punishments, such as electrical shocks, scalding with hot water, forced labour in online scams and even 20-minute-long whipping with cane sticks. Pregnant women are reportedly forced to carry heavy water containers as punishment.
A Bangladeshi survivor, who escaped after three months, described the situation as dire: “The Chinese bosses don’t care if you live or die. The Karen army gets money from the Chinese and jails if we disobey. We are made to work for 17-18 hours daily and the conditions are inhumane. The food is inedible and many of us survive by just drinking water. If targets are not met, the prisoners have to work up to 24 hours a day.”
Despite an international outcry and diplomatic efforts, progress has been slow even though the crisis made worldwide headlines after the high-profile kidnapping and rescue of Chinese actor Xingxing.
The economic implications of these trafficking operations are also significant. A 2024 report from the United States Institute of Peace estimates that criminal organisations in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar generate about US$43.8 billion annually through illicit activities, including online scams, destabilising economies on both regional and global levels.
At the end of the meeting on Friday, NHRC commissioner Preeda Kongpaen said they are monitoring the issue very closely.
“The rising number of victims crossing borders through Thailand is alarmingly high, Thailand’s Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act aims to combat this, but legal limitations and ground realities create significant challenges.”
Preeda added that the NHRC is pushing for urgent action to address this crisis, calling for stronger international collaboration and enforcement mechanisms to dismantle trafficking networks and protect victims.
