A 30-year-old Kenyan man, identified only as James, escaped a Myanmar forced labour camp run by a Chinese cartel and crossed into Thailand, revealing the plight of hundreds trapped in a fraudulent call center. James told Thai police the gang held around 1,000 people of various nationalities, including 23 Kenyans, at a “scam town” in Myawaddy, Kayin state.
Covered in wounds, James explained to the Bangkok Post how he limped into a shop in Phop Phra district after fleeing the camp and asked for help. He had been lured from Kenya last year by a fake job as a cook in Thailand. After arriving in Bangkok on October 5, he and two others were smuggled across the Moei River into Myanmar and forced to work as cryptocurrency investment scammers. When James refused, he was beaten and tortured.
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According to James, the Chinese-controlled plant employs numerous foreigners from various countries, including Filipinos, Cambodians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, and Sri Lankans.
Thai police have contacted the Kenyan embassy in Bangkok to assist James. The escape follows repeated warnings from Ambassador Kiptiness Lindsay Kimwole and the Kenyan government against seeking employment in South Asian countries like Thailand and Myanmar, where individuals often face exploitation and slavery.
Dozens Of East Africans Lured
A government statement reveals that dozens of Kenyans and other East Africans have been lured to these countries under the guise of English teacher positions, only to become overworked and underpaid laborers. Furthermore, the embassy reports that the problem has escalated, with recruiters now hiring Kenyans to recruit others with false promises. The embassy claims to have assisted in rescuing 140 Kenyans and other East Africans, highlighting the continued prevalence of these scams despite warnings issued since 2022.
The embassy warns that Kenyans in Myanmar have now become human trafficking agents for criminal cartels, receiving large sums of money (up to Ksh300,000) from unsuspecting individuals to secure Thai visas and air tickets. Fake job advertisements in Thailand, especially in customer care, cryptocurrency, and teaching roles, are used to lure victims. The embassy notes that some Kenyans have become destitute in Bangkok, sleeping on the streets and begging for food.
In December, Emma Gicheha, from the State Department of Diaspora Affairs, acknowledged the situation as a “headache,” identifying Thailand and India as key destinations for human trafficking and reporting an increasing trend of trafficking to these countries.
Source: The EastAfrican
