BANGKOK — 275 foreigners, mostly African nationals, connected to call center scam operations staged a protest along the Moei River after being detained in DKBA territory for more than two months, saying they want to return home.
According to a report from the Rajamanu Task Force on April 13, 275 foreigners linked to scammer call center gangs protested along the Moei River in Myanmar after being detained in DKBA territory for over two months. Most are Ethiopians and nationals from other African countries who have been held in an area controlled by the Karen DKBA group.
The area in question is the “Taishang 1” gray business zone in Myawaddy, Karen State, opposite Ban Chong Kaeb in Phop Phra district, Tak province. The protesters attempted to leave the controlled area to enter Thailand in order to return to their home countries after waiting for coordination from their embassies for more than two months.
During the protest, tensions escalated to the brink of confrontation with DKBA Karen soldiers, who argued with and threatened the protesters with weapons.
Thai military personnel from the Rajamanu Task Force, Naresuan Force, along with administrative officials and Phop Phra police, have reinforced security along the border to prevent illegal crossings while coordinating with all relevant parties.
The Thai side emphasized that the scammer crackdown already has a clear process for returning these network workers to their home countries, with over 8,000 people already repatriated. Therefore, any foreigners who do not go through the proper repatriation process and attempt to cross the border illegally will be prosecuted for illegal immigration. The delays in the process are not caused by the Thai side but by the home countries that are not ready to receive their nationals.
Later, DKBA forces were able to negotiate with the foreign nationals, promising to hand over all 275 foreigners to Myanmar authorities in Myawaddy on April 18 to continue the repatriation process.
The delays in the process stem from the foreigners’ home countries not being ready to receive them. All relevant Thai agencies have not been complacent and have been continuously working to resolve the issue.
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