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Cross-border mission rescues 554 trafficked Indonesians in Myanmar
The Indonesians were all rescued from Myawaddy on Monday. Later that same day, they crossed over the Second Friendship Bridge into Mae Sot in western Thailand, where they received health examinations.
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Indonesian nationals who had worked at scam centres in Myanmar are greeted by officials upon arrival from Thailand, at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten near Jakarta on March 18, 2025. Indonesia on March 18 began repatriating more than 500 of its nationals freed from online scam centres in Myanmar, officials said, bringing them home from grim holding camps in Thailand where many have languished for weeks. (Antara Foto/Bayu Pratama S)
T
he government repatriated on Tuesday 400 citizens who had been trafficked to Myanmar, following a rescue mission described as particularly challenging because it focused on the rebel-controlled region of Myawaddy.
Another 154 Indonesians were awaiting repatriation and were scheduled to arrive on Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“There were many factions with different interests in Myawaddy. Coordinating the mission was not easy, and it took quite a long time to carry out the evacuation,” Foreign Minister Sugiono said as he welcomed the repatriates at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten.
“I understand that the work is challenging, even life-threatening, for everyone involved. However, it must be done out of our love for our fellow citizens and a deep sense of responsibility,” he added.
The Indonesians were all rescued from Myawaddy on Monday. Later that same day, they crossed over the Second Friendship Bridge into Mae Sot in western Thailand, where they received health examinations.
Read also: Authorities to question more than 500 citizens freed from Myanmar scam centres
In accordance with the established procedure of the Thai government, the 554 human trafficking survivors traveled nine hours by bus to Bangkok, around 500 kilometers away, and boarded chartered planes bound for Indonesia at Don Mueang International Airport.
