TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's diplomatic corps has successfully rescued 1,549 individuals from human trafficking operations across the Asia-Pacific region, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA, 外交部) revealed Tuesday (March 25). In a press briefing, officials detailed their ongoing humanitarian efforts, noting that 261 people were specifically extracted from Myanmar, where online scam compounds have proliferated in recent years. The rescue operations represent one of Taiwan's most extensive humanitarian interventions in the region, highlighting the government's commitment to combating transnational criminal networks that have ensnared thousands of victims.
Officials reported that the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Myanmar (駐緬甸代表處) has handled 495 cases related to human trafficking and forced labor. During the briefing, representatives acknowledged minor statistical variations between government departments due to differences in case classification and processing methodologies. Peter Lian (藍夏禮), director-general of the Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, emphasized MOFA's multifaceted approach to victim assistance. He detailed how the ministry has established diverse rescue channels while maintaining robust diplomatic communication with regional partners to facilitate these complex operations.
The scale of the trafficking crisis has forced Thailand to limit its role to providing transit pathways rather than offering resettlement options for the flood of rescued individuals. Thai authorities have expressed concern about the overwhelming number of victims requiring assistance across the region. A significant breakthrough occurred in February when Taiwanese officials orchestrated a complex evacuation operation. The mission successfully extracted Taiwanese nationals from Myawaddy, a Myanmar border town notorious for scam compounds, transporting them first to Mae Sot in Thailand, then to Bangkok as an intermediate staging area before arranging their final return to Taiwan.
The crisis first gained official recognition in 2022 when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its representative office in Myanmar began receiving distressing reports from citizens and their families regarding abductions to fraudulent operation centers. These criminal enterprises, commonly known as "scam compounds," typically force captives to perpetrate online financial crimes under threat of violence. Taiwan's government has established a coordinated response network that includes partnerships with international non-governmental organizations and trusted community leaders abroad. This coalition works to locate Taiwanese nationals trapped in these compounds, evaluate their conditions, and develop tailored strategies for their safe extraction, rehabilitation, and repatriation.
