Mae Sot, Thailand, February 20, 2025 – A group of 50 Chinese nationals, extricated from scam centres in Myanmar, crossed into Thailand on Thursday and boarded a flight home as part of a multinational effort to repatriate approximately 600 Chinese victims.
The group, rescued from facilities on the Thai-Myanmar border, was escorted by armed soldiers at the Mae Sot crossing from the town of Myawaddy, a hotspot for criminally operated scam compounds.
Regional police official Raveepat Amornmuneepong confirmed that “all 50 have boarded the plane that the Chinese government arranged,” adding that Chinese authorities plan to sift through the group to identify victims trafficked into illegal online operations. “There are four flights today,” he said.
For years, criminal gangs have trafficked hundreds of thousands of people to scam centres across Southeast Asia, where victims are forced to work in illicit online scams, according to United Nations reports. The recent extraction at Mae Sot is part of Thailand’s renewed effort, supported by Beijing, to dismantle these compounds following high-profile rescues, including that of Chinese actor Wang Xing—who was lured with false promises of an acting job and later rescued from the Myawaddy area. Wang’s case ignited widespread public interest in China and spurred a grassroots initiative that compiled the names of nearly 1,800 Chinese reported to have been trafficked into Myanmar.
The multinational repatriation effort also involves authorities from Myanmar, where the junta has detained more than 1,500 people in the Myawaddy area, with state media reporting 250 detentions on Wednesday. “Officials are working with relevant agencies to collect personal information of these individuals for prompt repatriation,” said a report in the Global Light of Myanmar.
Among those rescued in earlier operations, some survivors of scam centres—part of a group of 260 who returned last week from Myawaddy and are now sheltering in a military camp—recounted suffering cuts and bruises from beatings and electrocution.
In total, nearly 7,000 people rescued from scam compounds in Myanmar are awaiting transfer to Thailand, according to Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. The coordinated repatriation underscores growing regional efforts to combat the human trafficking networks that exploit vulnerable individuals across Southeast Asia.
Aid groups in Myanmar’s worst-hit areas urgently need shelter, food, and water after a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake killed over 2,700 people. Rescue efforts face challenges due to ongoing civil war, damaged infrastructure, and restricted aid access, with the toll expected to rise.
Myanmar declared seven days of national mourning after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar, causing over 1,700 deaths, 3,400 injuries, and leaving more than 300 missing. Flags will be flown at half-staff during the mourning period.
More than a million people in Myanmar are set to lose access to vital food aid from the World Food Programme next month due to a severe funding shortfall, exacerbating the country’s ongoing humanitarian crisis amid escalating conflict and displacement.
Russia and Myanmar have signed an agreement on small-scale nuclear plant construction on the territory of the Republic.
An ethnic minority army that is part of formidable rebel alliance fighting Myanmar's ruling military has announced its willingness to hold talks with the junta after a year-long battle along the Myanmar-China border.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the deployment of additional warplanes to reinforce American naval assets in the Middle East, the Pentagon confirmed on Tuesday. The move follows a renewed bombing campaign in Yemen and rising friction with Iran.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a cornerstone of American humanitarian outreach for over six decades, is being dismantled under the directive of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
Ukraine is set to hold in-depth talks with a select group of foreign allies this Friday to discuss the formation of a military contingent that could serve as a security guarantee under a future ceasefire agreement.
Senior Trump administration officials are privately acknowledging that a Ukraine peace deal is unlikely in the coming months, despite early hopes of brokering a ceasefire by spring.
The speaker of the lower house of Ireland's parliament defeated a no confidence motion laid down by the main opposition parties as expected on Tuesday after maintaining the support of the coalition government.
Aid groups in Myanmar’s worst-hit areas urgently need shelter, food, and water after a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake killed over 2,700 people. Rescue efforts face challenges due to ongoing civil war, damaged infrastructure, and restricted aid access, with the toll expected to rise.
As the world shifts toward clean energy at an ever-accelerating pace, large economies are scrambling to secure reliable supply chains for rare earth minerals. These minerals, once seen as mere industrial components, have become a political tool in the global power struggle
Russian forces carried out a drone attack on Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, late Wednesday, injuring at least twenty one people and causing structural damage, according to Ukrainian officials.
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen was banned from running for public office for five years after being convicted of embezzlement, ruling her out of the 2027 presidential race. She received a four-year prison sentence, with two years suspended, and a €100,000 fine. Le Pen plans to appeal.
Apple marked its 49th anniversary by reaching a market capitalization of $3.3 trillion. Despite recent tech stock volatility, Apple's shares surged 28% in 2024.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a cornerstone of American humanitarian outreach for over six decades, is being dismantled under the directive of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
Ukraine is set to hold in-depth talks with a select group of foreign allies this Friday to discuss the formation of a military contingent that could serve as a security guarantee under a future ceasefire agreement.
Senior Trump administration officials are privately acknowledging that a Ukraine peace deal is unlikely in the coming months, despite early hopes of brokering a ceasefire by spring.
The speaker of the lower house of Ireland's parliament defeated a no confidence motion laid down by the main opposition parties as expected on Tuesday after maintaining the support of the coalition government.
Canada will retaliate if the U.S. imposes tariffs, Prime Minister Mark Carney warned on Tuesday.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the deployment of additional warplanes to reinforce American naval assets in the Middle East, the Pentagon confirmed on Tuesday. The move follows a renewed bombing campaign in Yemen and rising friction with Iran.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a cornerstone of American humanitarian outreach for over six decades, is being dismantled under the directive of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
Ukraine is set to hold in-depth talks with a select group of foreign allies this Friday to discuss the formation of a military contingent that could serve as a security guarantee under a future ceasefire agreement.
Senior Trump administration officials are privately acknowledging that a Ukraine peace deal is unlikely in the coming months, despite early hopes of brokering a ceasefire by spring.
The speaker of the lower house of Ireland's parliament defeated a no confidence motion laid down by the main opposition parties as expected on Tuesday after maintaining the support of the coalition government.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment