A disturbing
scenario has been playing out over and over again along the border of Myanmar and Thailand. A young person seeking work is approached by a recruiter who says: 'Pay me, and I'll get you a good job in Thailand.' Thinking they've landed the opportunity of a lifetime, the person agrees -
only to have their passport snatched away and to be hauled to a remote area where they become locked inside a forced-labor compound in Myanmar. Once there, mob bosses
beat, electric-shock, and torture them into working at scam centers where their 'jobs' become: trick rich, lonely people around the world out of their money.
Luckily, international cooperation by several governments recently resulted in several thousand forced workers' release. But that's only a tiny fraction of the number of people still trapped. Sign the petition to demand that world governments put pressure on the Myanmar government to shut down these human trafficking operations for good!These scam centers are not small little fly-by-night operations. They have become
vast, sprawling campuses run by organized crime operations - and their numbers have doubled in the past 4 years. Experts estimate that
approximately 100,000 people are currently trapped in these campuses, forced to work for the crime bosses or else they will face brutally violent consequences. Some became severely injured; others have even become paralyzed.
The only way out is for their families to pay extremely expensive ransoms, which most people cannot afford.
The criminal sites pursue a variety of schemes, including
'romance' scams, false investment advising, and fake customer service. The goal is to trick people into transferring money to the organized crime group. This defrauding operation is conducted using social media to target and connect with rich people, often older men. The facilities even employ AI to completely alter their workers' appearances to lure in their victims more effectively.
But, in order to run these scams, the crime bosses need workers. And in order to get workers, they've turned to human trafficking. Once new recruits arrive at the facilities - with identity documents and visas taken away - they are locked inside the complexes' tall walls, complete with
barbed wire and 24/7 armed guards patrolling the perimeters.
Some workers who've managed to escape
describe being forced to work 22 hour days, with only 1 day off per month. One survivor said: "They [the bosses] gave us a target every week, $5,000. If not, they gave us two electric shocks. Or they put us in a dark room, with no windows." Another said: "It was the worst experience of my life. Of course I was beaten. But believe me I have seen a lot worse done to other people."
We cannot abandon people to remain trapped in these conditions. We must speak out and demand that the international community work together to end the reign of human trafficking criminal operations in Myanmar! Sign the petition!