14 Nepalis rescued from Myanmar repatriated to Nepal

KATHMANDU: Fourteen Nepali nationals, who had been trapped in Myanmar’s Mawaddy region, have been rescued and repatriated to Nepal via Bangkok, according to the Embassy of Nepal in Bangkok.

Issuing a statement on Wednesday, the Nepali missions said the rescued individuals were sent to Kathmandu via Nepal Airlines flight.

“The Embassy of Nepal in Bangkok, with the coordination and support of the concerned authorities of Myanmar and Thailand, rescued 14 Nepali citizens who had reached Myanmar through various means under false promises and were forced to work in illegally operated online scamming centres in Myawaddy,” the statement read. “They were brought to Thailand through the Immigration Office in Mae Sot and repatriated to Nepal on Wednesday.”

According to the embassy, efforts are underway to repatriate another 11 Nepalis from the same area coordination with the concerned Myanmar and Thailand authorities.

The embassy also said that it was making diplomatic efforts for the return of 38 Nepalis, who had entered Thailand from Myanmar along with nearly 2,000 foreigners from 28 countries, following a crackdown on scamming centers in Myanmar since October 19.

The embassy has urged Nepalis to pursue foreign employment only after obtaining labour permits as per the government regulations and cautioned them not to fall prey to false promises of easy and quick earnings abroad, particularly in countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand, where many have been lured under the pretext of travel and ended up in exploitative situations.