China Power

As Myanmar Coup Intensifies Regional Human Trafficking, How Will China Respond?

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China Power | Society | Southeast Asia

As Myanmar Coup Intensifies Regional Human Trafficking, How Will China Respond?

The growth of human rights atrocities in Myanmar has spilled over to the region – including Chinese nationals forced into labor.

As Myanmar Coup Intensifies Regional Human Trafficking, How Will China Respond?
Credit: Depositphotos

Since the 2021 Myanmar coup, over 2,200 people have been killed by the military. The military doubled down on political repression by executing well-known political activists and burning villages with members participating in armed resistance. Threats to human security in Myanmar have spread to the region as observed by the outflow of refugees, human trafficking of women and children, drug smuggling and so on.

Foreigners have also become victims of human trafficking in the wake of the Myanmar coup. Dozens of Chinese-speaking people are being kidnapped from Thailand to Myanmar for scam activities. In May 2022, Malaysians were lured by offers of high-salary jobs in Thailand but subsequently trafficked to Myanmar. Later, Taiwanese and Hong Kongers also fell into similar job scams and were enslaved.

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