A report issued by the UN Human Rights Office said hundreds of thousands of people are being trafficked by criminal gangs in South East Asia to support illegal gambling operations.
The UN report said victims of these human trafficking operations in SE Asia – which generate billions of US dollars each year – face serious violations and abuses.
These include threats to their safety and security. Many have already been subjected to torture, arbitrary detention, sexual violence, forced labour and other human rights abuses.
The UN said “credible sources” indicate criminal actors force at least 120,000 people across Myanmar to take part in online criminal behaviour, including illegal gambling.
The international organisation added estimates for Cambodia stand at around 100,000. Tens of thousands more trafficked in Laos, the Philippines and Thailand.
Covid-19 impact on criminal networks
The UN added the Covid-19 pandemic and its response by governments in region had a “drastic impact” on human trafficking operations in SE Asia.
As a result of public health measures, governments closed casinos throughout the region. This led to casino operators moving their activities to less regulated areas. These include near conflict borders, Special Economic Zones and online.
According to the UN, this has led to criminal networks increasingly targeting migrants in vulnerable situations for recruitment.
Demographics of trafficked individuals
Most people trafficked into these unlawful activities are men, although the UN noted women and adolescents also count among the victims. The victims also tend to not be citizens of the country where the trafficking takes place.
The UN highlighted that many of the individuals are well-educated, often possessing graduate and post-graduate degrees. This is because criminals target many for being computer-literate and multi-lingual.
The victims of human trafficking come from across SE Asia, including Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore Thailand and Vietnam.
However, some originate from further afield, with the UN pointing out that people from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Asia and even Africa and Latin America count among the victims.
