Over 5,300 still trapped in Myanmar scam centres

More than 5,300 people remain confined in scam compounds in Myanmar near the Thai border, according to a rights group, despite a multinational crackdown last year.

The Thai‑based Civil Society Network for Human Trafficking Victim Assistance (CSNHTV) said victims include nationals from China, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brazil, alongside smaller groups from Russia and several African countries. Around 200 Myanmar citizens are also among those held.

The group sent a letter to Thai police urging urgent action, warning that “many of these compounds have yet to be dismantled or subjected to rescue operations.” It said the centres continue to run online fraud and human trafficking operations, targeting victims worldwide, particularly in the United States and Europe.

Scam centres in Southeast Asia have become a multibillion‑dollar industry, initially tied to casinos and online gambling but expanding rapidly during the COVID‑19 pandemic. The United Nations has described them as hubs of abuse, staffed largely by trafficked foreign nationals forced to run online schemes.

A UN report in February documented widespread mistreatment inside the compounds, including torture, sexual exploitation, forced abortions, food deprivation and solitary confinement. “The litany of abuse is staggering and at the same time heart‑breaking,” UN Human Rights chief Volker Turk said.

The persistence of these centres highlights the difficulty of dismantling entrenched criminal networks in border regions where state control is weak. Many compounds are located in areas controlled by militias such as the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, complicating rescue efforts.

For victims, the ordeal is both physical and psychological. Trapped behind guarded fences, they are coerced into defrauding strangers online, often under threat of violence. Families abroad remain in the dark, unsure if their relatives will ever be freed.

Campaigners say stronger regional cooperation is essential. While crackdowns in Cambodia and Laos have freed some victims, Myanmar’s conflict‑ridden borderlands remain a safe haven for syndicates. Without coordinated rescue operations, rights groups warn, thousands will continue to be exploited.

The revelations serve as a reminder that the scam industry is not only a financial crime but also a humanitarian crisis. Behind the billions lost to fraud are thousands of trafficked workers enduring abuse, waiting for governments to act.

-2026-06-24