32 Sri Lankans rescued from human trafficking in Myanmar

The Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry announced that 32 Sri Lankans stranded in Myanmar due to human trafficking were rescued on Monday (November 25), after a coordinated effort.

The victims were tricked into cybercrime operations and became targets of human trafficking. The ministry stated that the government would work with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to bring them back to Sri Lanka as soon as possible.

The rescue operation was coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Employment and Tourism, and Sri Lanka’s ambassadors in Thailand and Myanmar. Ven. Maligawila Assaji Thero played an important role in supporting the process on behalf of the victims’ families.

Last week, Minister Vijitha Herath directed officials to take immediate steps to work with the Governments of Myanmar and Thailand to facilitate the rescue. Sri Lanka’s envoys were actively involved in negotiations to ensure its success.

The rescued group includes 8 women and 24 men. They were brought across the Mae Sot border into Thailand on November 25, where they were received by Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in Thailand. They are now in Tak Province, where their immediate needs are being met.

Earlier this year, in April and August, two similar operations successfully rescued 28 Sri Lankans in collaboration with the Governments of Myanmar and Thailand.

The Ministry has also advised Sri Lankans planning to work abroad to follow approved channels and verify job offers through the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) to protect themselves from human trafficking.