A 25-year-old Thai woman has been rescued by Thai and Myanmar authorities after being trafficked in Panghsang, an area in Shan State controlled by the United Wa State Army (UWSA).
The Nakhon Ratchasima resident was lured by a TikTok advert offering work at a karaoke parlor in Myanmar’s casino border town of Tachilek. But she was instead sold to Chinese businessmen in Panghsang near the Myanmar-China border, according to Thai news agencies.
The victim was rescued by Thailand’s Anti-Human Trafficking Center on May 26 after she reached out for help online.
“We had to negotiate seriously with Myanmar authorities for her rescue. She arrived in Wa, Special Region 2 in northeastern Shan State, via Tachilek,” Thai deputy police chief Pananchai Chuenchaitham was quoted as saying by Thai news agencies.
The woman was handed over to Thai authorities at No. 2 Friendship Bridge in Mae Sai on the Thai-Myanmar border on Monday (May 29).
Nyi Rang, the UWSA liaison officer in Lashio, told The Irrawaddy: “We take a tough line on human trafficking.”
The UWSA is working with relevant stakeholders to tackle human trafficking in Wa State, the officer added.
“There are also people who make an honest living in our state. And such cases are not happening in Wa State alone. As our state is in the border area, our organization can’t handle this alone.”
Last year, Thai citizens and some 13 residents of Sagaing Region were rescued from UWSA-controlled territory after being confined and tortured by Chinese-run businesses.
Chinese-run criminal gangs based in Myanmar border areas controlled by ethnic armed organizations are operating telecom scams and online gambling and luring workers from China and other countries by promising high-paying jobs.
