Myanmar Online Fraud Parks Stir Chinese Public Opinion as Victims' Families Launch Grassroots Appeals

Chinese Actor Wang Xing’s Rescue Sparks Pleas for Help from Other Victims’ Families (Online Screenshot)

[People News] The kidnapping and cross-border rescue case could serve as the plot of an action movie, but 22-year-old Chinese actor Wang Xing did not appear in this story as a performer or celebrity. In reality, he was deceived by a job opportunity that led him to Thailand, where he became a victim in the fraudulent scam park in Myawaddy, Myanmar.

According to Voice of America, Wang Xing’s ordeal has ignited public discourse in China. Although he has been rescued and returned home, a growing number of similar disappearances are coming to light. Chinese netizens have even raised concerns about the possible involvement of "state actors" in the persistent operations of Myanmar's online fraud parks.

In Wang Xing’s case, his girlfriend, Jia Jia, detailed the timeline of his disappearance and publicized the specifics of his kidnapping on social media. She launched a campaign to raise awareness, tagging well-known actors who had worked with Wang Xing to amplify the issue. Her actions drew widespread attention and put significant public pressure on the Chinese government, prompting collaboration with Thai authorities to rescue him.

Reuters noted that unlike Wang Xing, whose story had a vocal advocate, most families of deceived and trafficked Chinese nationals suffer in quiet despair, waiting for news.

Wang Xing revealed that alongside him in the fraud park were dozens of other Chinese citizens, and that the surrounding buildings likely housed many more trapped individuals.

After news of Wang Xing’s abduction to Myawaddy broke, families of other Chinese nationals still held in Myanmar fraud parks began posting details of their loved ones’ cases on social media. They centralized this information in a Google document titled "Star Homecoming Project," aiming to draw broader attention to their plight.

Within days, this rare grassroots initiative collected a list of nearly 1,800 Chinese citizens believed to have been trafficked. Families claim their loved ones were trafficked from border regions between China and Thailand to Myanmar.

Since Myanmar's military seized power in a coup in 2021, ongoing civil war and chaos have fueled the proliferation of fraud parks. Workers in these parks are often subjected to brutal treatment.

The United Nations reports that tens of thousands of people have been trafficked to fraud centers across Southeast Asia since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. These centers scam individuals worldwide, generating billions of dollars annually for the criminal organizations running them, many of which have Chinese ties.

Reuters also reported that grassroots organizers of the victims’ families have provided detailed statistics to Chinese authorities, creating a comprehensive census of Chinese victims.

Victims' Families: Chinese Police Refuse to File Cases

Reuters contacted and interviewed four families of individuals missing in Myanmar based on information from the Star Homecoming Project document. Out of fear of provoking authorities and jeopardizing rescue efforts, all declined to disclose their names.

According to the document, which lists nearly 1,800 victims, approximately 93% of the victims are male, with an average age of 27, and most falling within the 15 to 45 age range. Many were lured to the fraud parks due to financial difficulties.

Reuters analyzed the document and found that about half of the families reported being unable to file cases with local police. Additionally, Chinese law does not classify men as potential victims of human trafficking.

"I initially tried to report the case to the police, but they told me that missing persons reports only apply to women and children," one woman said. Her husband disappeared after accepting a job offer in an effort to repay debts.

Another woman, whose 22-year-old electrician husband is missing, said that Chinese police told her they could not accept a missing persons report because he traveled with his passport.

Several family members of the missing men expressed hope that the attention drawn to these cases will pressure the Chinese government to take action and bring the trafficking victims home.