COLOMBO : The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Myanmar, is continuing to make all necessary efforts to rescue the Sri Lankans who have become victims of human trafficking and are trapped in Myanmar and bring them back home.
These Sri Lankans are being forcibly employed in various cyber scams run at multiple locations in Myawaddy, Myanmar, with false promises of legitimate employment in the IT sector.
External Affairs Minister. Ali Sabri discussed this matter with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar.
The Sri Lankan Embassy in Myanmar, which is constantly drawing the attention of the Myanmar authorities to the serious situation of Sri Lankans who have been forcibly employed in cyber crimes by traffickers, is also urging the authorities to take immediate steps to save the victims from this plight. As a result of these measures, the Myanmar government has assured that it will take steps to rescue victims from the clutches of traffickers as soon as possible.
Acting Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs U.L. Mr. Mohammad Jauhar met the Myanmar Ambassador in Colombo on February 22, 2024 and reiterated the urgent need for assistance to rescue and repatriate Sri Lankans trapped in Miyawadi area.
The Myanmar government is making efforts to rescue the Sri Lankans, and due to the current situation in the area, they have informed that they are facing difficulties in accessing the area.
The Ministry of External Affairs is working in close coordination with Sri Lankan Missions in neighboring Southeast Asian countries and international organizations to ensure the welfare of these Sri Lankans and their safe repatriation as soon as possible. The Ministry is also looking into the possibility of dealing with the countries of other nationalities who have become victims of this trafficking.
Meanwhile, it is learned that certain persons are engaged in collecting money from the families of the victims by promising to support the process of rescuing and repatriating the Sri Lankan victims of human trafficking. The Ministry requests the families to be very careful while dealing with such persons.
The Ministry of External Affairs is in constant contact with the relevant authorities in this regard and it is in close cooperation and constant communication with the Myanmar government authorities, which is exploring all possible avenues to rescue Sri Lankan victims of human trafficking in Myanmar and repatriate them safely.