Home / Crime and Justice / Myanmar Scams: Foreigners Detained, Regime Seeks Repatriation
Myanmar Scams: Foreigners Detained, Regime Seeks Repatriation
15 Dec
Summary
- Myanmar's military regime detained over 1,655 foreigners in scam center raids.
- The detained foreigners are from 47 countries, with Chinese nationals being the largest group.
- The regime is requesting international community assistance for detainee repatriation.
Myanmar's military regime has detained over 1,655 foreign nationals in a crackdown on illicit scam centers. These individuals, hailing from 47 countries, were apprehended near Myawaddy in Kayin state. The regime is now urgently appealing to the international community to facilitate their repatriation, citing management difficulties due to the diverse nationalities and backgrounds of the detainees.
The largest group of remaining detainees are Chinese nationals, with significant numbers also from Indonesia, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Kenya, and India. The repatriation process is particularly slow for individuals from African nations lacking embassies in Myanmar or Thailand, with some returns taking as long as five months.
While the military government claims to have intensified its crackdown on online scams and illegal gambling since September, critics allege that masterminds continue to operate elsewhere. The region's complex political landscape, with influential ethnic minority militias involved, adds another layer to the situation, as some groups previously associated with scam operators are now involved in the raids.
