Salman Mardira, Jakarta – Indonesia has evacuated 400 of its citizens who were victims of human trafficking linked to online scams from Myawaddy, Myanmar, on Monday.

Director of Indonesian Citizens Protection at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Judha Nugraha, said the evacuees were transported across the border from Myanmar to Mae Sot, Thailand, via the 2nd Friendship Bridge.

"After undergoing health screening and the National Referral Mechanism process, the victims traveled by land for 10 hours using nine buses to Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok. From there, they will be flown back to Indonesia on a chartered flight," Judha said in a statement on Tuesday.

The 400 trafficking victims comprise 313 men and 87 women, all in good health. Among them, six women are pregnant.

The Ministry's protection team, along with officials from the Indonesian embassies in Bangkok and Yangon, as well as the International Relations Division of the Indonesian National Police, have been overseeing the identification, escort, and assistance of the victims from Myawaddy to Indonesia.

"The smooth evacuation of Indonesian nationals from Myawaddy was made possible through intensive coordination and full support from Thai and Myanmar authorities," Judha added.

The victims are scheduled to arrive at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Cengkareng today at 9:00 a.m. Jakarta time. Indonesian Ambassador to Thailand, Rachmat Budiman, is leading the repatriation efforts.

The Foreign Ministry has also confirmed that 154 more Indonesian trafficking victims will be transported from Myawaddy to Mae Sot today. They are expected to arrive in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/400-indonesians-rescued-from-human-trafficking-in-myanma