This is the initial successful outcome of a large-scale deployment led by the MoFA, in coordination with concerned ministries and agencies.
With the news of the repatriation, Luong Thanh Quang, the Deputy Director of the Consular Department under the MoFA, spoke to the press, clarifying many contents related to citizen protection in the Myawaddy area of Myanmar in recent times.
He explained that Myawaddy Town was in Karen State, located in southeastern Myanmar, separated from Mae Sot City of Thailand by the Moei River.
It is an important trading point of the two countries and is also a city famous for gambling, betting and many illegal activities.
In March this year, Myanmar authorities coordinated with the Thai police and related countries to conduct many raids on online gambling establishments located along the border between Myanmar and Thailand, which is Myawaddy Town.
They discovered tens of thousands of illegal foreigners from many countries working at these locations, carrying out illegal activities such as online fraud, being forced to work and human trafficking.
“After quick screening, the Myanmar authorities determined that many Vietnamese citizens taken from gambling establishments were illegal immigrants and workers and had to leave the country. The information was reported to the MoFA’s Consular Department in Vietnam. We developed a plan to receive and bring them back to the country,” said he.
He added that due to the complicated security situation in Myanmar, moving from the ancient capital Yangon, where the Vietnamese Embassy in Myanmar is located, to Myawaddy Town was not feasible, posing many challenges to bring citizens home.
In the context of the number of identified citizens increasing rapidly every day, from 200 to 400 and then to over 600 people, the work of verifying the identity of each citizen was urgently deployed by the MoFA in coordination with the Ministry of Public Security.
They preliminarily identified 681 citizens from 56 provinces and cities nationwide, where warnings about ‘easy work with high salary’ scams are regularly published in the media.
In an official exchange with the Vietnamese MoFA, the Myanmar side affirmed that these were citizens violated the law, including illegal immigration, overstaying or even participating in criminal activities.
Some cases had been repatriated in previous times, but now returned to work at gambling establishments.
They were expelled from Myanmar and requested that the Vietnamese side accept them back to their country.
Mr. Luong Thanh Quang confirmed that the MoFA has discussed with the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of National Defence, localities and agencies, all of which said there is no basis to determine that the Vietnamese citizens deported by Myanmar were victims of human trafficking.
“In case citizens were tricked into working in Myanmar, after returning home, they can contact the local police to report it and after the investigation, if they are determined to be victims of human trafficking, they will receive appropriate financial support,” he said.
