Over 270 African migrants, including a significant number of Ethiopians, attempted to escape from a detention facility in southeastern Myanmar on Sunday, voicing fears that they could be sent back to exploitative scam operations where they were previously subjected to forced labor and abuse.
The group, rescued in a joint cross-border operation in February involving Myanmar, Thailand, and China, remains under the custody of the Democratic Kayin Buddhist Army (DKBA), an ethnic armed group in Myanmar’s Kayin State.
Witnesses said tensions escalated after individuals believed to be connected to the scam compounds visited the site. Following the visit, detainees reported that DKBA soldiers told them they could return to the compounds voluntarily, with assurances of pay and no punishment. Alarmed by what they perceived as an attempt to coerce them back into abusive conditions, the detainees gathered their belongings and tried to flee the site.
“We’re desperate. We can’t keep living like this,” said one Ethiopian woman who has been waiting for repatriation for over two months. “We would rather die than go back to those places.”
The group was eventually stopped by armed guards and persuaded to return with promises that discussions would follow. Many said they were exhausted by the lack of adequate food, poor living conditions, and the uncertainty surrounding their future.
Human rights advocates have raised alarms about the continued suffering of trafficking victims. Jay Kritiya, a coordinator with the Civil Society Network for Victim Assistance in Human Trafficking, warned that the delay in repatriation was worsening the already dire physical and mental health of detainees. “The conditions they’re facing now are not much better than the scam centers,” Kritiya said.
Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the names of those detained are being added to an official repatriation list. Meanwhile, humanitarian groups such as Acts of Mercy International say they have mobilized funds in coordination with airlines and local partners to support the return process.
Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Ambassador Nebiat Getachew, said that 130 citizens have already been brought home, and arrangements are underway for more returns within the next ten days.
As diplomatic and humanitarian efforts continue, the detained migrants remain in limbo, caught between international borders and ongoing fears of re-exploitation in one of Southeast Asia’s most dangerous human trafficking zones