Focus on protecting Vietnamese people at the Myanmar border

At the regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the afternoon of March 20, referring to the work of protecting Vietnamese citizens detained at the Myanmar-Thailand border, Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said:

"According to information from the Vietnamese Embassy in Myanmar, Myanmar authorities have reported a number of cases of Vietnamese citizens being detained for violating regulations on entry/exit into Myanmar after raids and raids on online fraud establishments in the Myawaddy area, near the border between Myanmar and Thailand."

Ms. Pham Thu Hang also stated that, implementing the direction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Vietnamese Embassy in Myanmar has requested local authorities to ensure the safety of Vietnamese citizens.

People queue at the Myanmar-Thailand border crossing in Myawaddy. Photo: AAC Yemin

Currently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is closely coordinating with domestic agencies to verify the identities of detained Vietnamese citizens, and at the same time directing Vietnamese representative agencies in Myanmar and Thailand to continue working with local agencies to promptly deploy protection measures and support the return of Vietnamese citizens to the country.

Previously, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on February 27 that there were Vietnamese citizens among the 7,000 foreigners rescued from fraud gangs in Myanmar at the end of February.

Online scammers lure victims around the world with promises of high-paying jobs, then take them hostage and force them to join the scam or face severe punishment. The border area between Thailand and Myanmar is one of the hotspots where this type of crime is concentrated.

The Thai government has recently stepped up efforts to combat scam hubs in the Myanmar border region, calling it a “national security issue.” Thailand has cut off electricity supplies to some areas bordering Myanmar, which are considered hotbeds of scammers.

Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/tap-trung-bao-ho-nguoi-viet-o-bien-gioi-myanmar-thai-lan.html