Photo credit: Jarkata Globe
At least eleven Indonesian migrant workers have been trafficked into Myanmar for forced labour after initially travelling to Thailand for jobs, according to the local workers union on Thursday.
Jakarta Globe reports that the workers entered Thailand with entry visas. However, their employers later transferred them to Myanmar against their will, according to Jejen Nurjanah, the chairwoman of the Sukabumi branch of the Indonesian Migrant Workers’ Union.
She said, “It’s clear they are victims of a human trafficking syndicate. They were promised administrative jobs with high salaries in a Thai company.”
She revealed that the workers are being held in a conflict zone in Myanmar, making repatriation efforts difficult.
She also explained that “The Indonesian embassy has no authority to intervene in the conflict-ridden region, and the situation is dangerous because rebel groups control the area.”
