84 Indonesians taken out of scam centers in Myanmar are set to go home

MAE SOT, Thailand (AP) — Eighty-four Indonesians freed from scam centers in Myanmar arrived at the Thai border city of Mae Sot earlier on Thursday in an ongoing repatriation effort that follows a crackdown by Thailand, Myanmar and China.

Two buses with the Indonesians on board drove across the Second Thailand Myanmar Friendship Bridge, accompanied by police escort. The vehicles then entered a checkpoint area, where passengers were seen being taken in batches for a screening that includes a health check and identity verification.

They were among more than 7,000 people from across the world currently being held in the Myanmar border town Myawaddy.

Hundreds of thousands of people were believed to had been lured to work in Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos to commit scams against people across the world through false romances, bogus investment pitches and illegal gambling schemes. Many who end up in these areas were recruited under false pretenses, only to find themselves trapped in virtual slavery.

Last week, the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry said they were coordinating to repatriate as many as 270 of their citizens stranded in Myanmar after being taken out of scam centers.

Judha Nugraha, director of Indonesian citizen protection at the ministry, said the 84 Indonesians will fly to Jakarta on two commercial flights on Friday. He did not immediately clarify why only 84 were being repatriated.

Nugraha has said that approximately 6,800 Indonesians have fallen victim to illegal job scams, ending up in online gambling operations or bogus investment schemes in Myanmar and several other countries over the past few years.

The crackdown and repatriation effort came shortly after Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra paid a visit to Beijing earlier this month, where she told Chinese leader Xi Jinping that Thailand would crack down on the scam networks.

As part of Thailand's crackdown, it also has cut off electricity, internet and gas supplies to several areas in Myanmar hosting scam centers along the border, citing national security.

More than 600 Chinese citizens were repatriated on charter flights over four days last week. Due to the large number, Thailand is allowing Beijing to handle most processing on their return to China.

Earlier this month, some 260 people from 20 different countries, ranging from Ethiopia to Brazil to the Philippines, crossed from Myanmar into Thai custody. Many of them have returned to their home countries since, but over 100 remain in Thailand awaiting repatriation, Thai officials said.

The unprecedented size and scale of the repatriation effort is straining Thai government resources, and leading to delays for those waiting to be repatriated to their home countries. Officials from Thailand, Myanmar and China are expected to meet soon to address the logistics of the crackdown as the apparent delay grows concerns about a possible humanitarian crisis along the border.

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Associated Press writer Niniek Karmini in Jakarta contributed to this report.