Anti-trafficking organization urges Thai PM to help free Moroccans held by gang in Myanmar

A Thai anti-human trafficking organization, Exodus Road, has requested help from Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to free 21 Moroccan nationals kidnapped by a human trafficking ring operating on the Thailand-Thailand border. Myanmar, Thai media reported on Sunday.

The organization decided to seek the prime minister's help after the Moroccan embassy in Bangkok requested assistance from various agencies on May 17 in an official letter. These agencies included the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Royal Thai Army, the Special Investigation Department, and the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok. According to Exodus Road, no progress has been made since then.

The victims were initially lured by the promise of high-paying e-commerce jobs in Thailand but were taken to rebel-controlled areas in Myanmar to work in cybercrime call centers. Shortly after arriving in Thailand in February, the Moroccans were transported to a village in Myanmar’s Myawaddy district, where they were held captive and tortured, the group said.

In addition to requesting the intervention of the Thai Prime Minister, Exodus Road sent a letter to Thai MP Kannavee Suebsang of the Fair Party. Suebsang has always contributed to the evacuation of refugees besieged by rebel forces.

In a Facebook post on Friday, the Thai MP said the human trafficking group was also holding 41 Sri Lankans hostage in Myanmar, in addition to Moroccan citizens. He urged the Thai government to hand over a rescue mission to the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security to evacuate the victims.

In June, three Moroccans had already been repatriated home after being released by the human trafficking network in Myanmar, probably in exchange for a ransom. The families of the three victims paid the equivalent of 100,000 Dhs each to secure their freedom.

Morocco's ambassador to Thailand, Abdelrahim Rahali, told MAP on May 15 that the Moroccan embassy was taking all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of kidnapped Moroccan citizens and prevent possible reprisals. Mr. Rahali stressed that the embassy in Bangkok was closely monitoring the situation and intensifying its efforts to help the victims.

The Moroccan embassy maintains daily contact with the Thai authorities to monitor the situation and collect information relating to Moroccan nationals. The victims are among several thousand people of various nationalities, including African, Asian and European countries. Some victims managed to escape from the camp, described as a place of open-air exploitation and torture, where Chinese mafia militias operate with impunity.