The local-level Thai Myanmar border committee has tentatively agreed that 500 trafficked foreigners, of the about 2,000 who have expressed their wishes to return to their home countries, will be sent into Thailand, starting on Monday.
The committee met yesterday at the headquarters of the Ratchamanu task force in Mae Sot district of Thailand’s Tak province.
Representing the Thai side on the committee were Maj-Gen Maitree Chupreecha, commander of the Naresuan task force, and Col Natthakorn Ruantib, commander of the Ratchamanu task force. The Myanmar side was represented by the chairman of the Myanmar border committee and heads of the police, immigration and the local administration of Myawaddy township.
According to the repatriation process agreed at the meeting, Myanmar must submit to Thailand a list of those who want to leave Myanmar, complete with details of their names, nationalities, gender, photos and passports 3-5 days ahead of their transfer to Thailand via the Second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge in Mae Sot district.
The Thai side informed its Myanmar counterpart, though, that Thailand is only capable of handling 500 returnees a day initially, but the number can be adjusted if necessary.
Maj-Gen Maitree said that Myanmar has accepted that there is a threat posed by the scam call centres and agreed to cooperate with Thailand in the crackdown and to rescue allegedly trafficked foreigners, adding that the numbers may be as high as 7,000.
He said those to be sent to Thailand must, however, be subjected to health screening, to make sure that they are not infected with communicable diseases.
The Chinese-run call centres are concentrated in two areas, Shwe Kokko and KK Park in Myawaddy township, opposite Thailand’s Mae Sot province.
The transfer of allegedly trafficked foreigners, many of them forced to work against their will, is taking place after Thailand imposed electricity, fuel and internet cuts on five locations in three Myanmar border townships in Myawaddy, namely Tachileik, opposite Mae Sai district in Chiang Rai province, and Payathonzu, opposite Three Pagodas Pass in Kanchanaburi province on February 5th.
