Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Releases 12 Indonesian Citizens Victims Of Fraud Syndicate In Myanmar, Forced To Become Online Gambling Admins

UNSPLASH / Micha ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Indonesian Embassy in Yangon and the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok released 12 Indonesian citizens who were held captive in online fraud companies in the conflict area of Myawaddy, Myanmar.

The victims were dispatched from Myanmar to Thailand on Tuesday, October 15 and will undergo an immigration process in Thailand in accordance with applicable regulations.

The victims left for Thailand from March to July after being promised a job in Thailand. However, they were held captive and forced to work as online scammers and online gambling and experienced physical violence.

The victims also had difficulty communicating because their device was detained. However, some of them had informed their whereabouts after successfully communicating with the Indonesian Embassy in Yangon.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has received complaints from victims in August 2024 and together with the Indonesian Embassy in Yangon have made various efforts such as delivering several diplomatic notes, coordinating with Myanmar's relevant authorities, communicating with local networks in Myawaddy and establishing bilateral and regional cooperation.

Until now, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has removed 65 Indonesian citizens from the area and there are still 69 Indonesian citizens who are being sought to get out of Myawaddy.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urges all Indonesian citizens who plan to work abroad to use official channels in accordance with applicable procedures so as not to become victims of the Crime of Trafficking in Persons (TPPO) or forced labor.