Kenyan authorities have raised concerns over missing nationals in Myanmar, with reports emerging of a Kenyan citizen’s death in Bangkok, sparking calls for urgent investigations and support for affected families.
The Kenyan Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, has strongly cautioned its citizens about the rising trend of being enticed into conflict-stricken Myanmar and Laos with promises of employment that often involve participation in scamming activities.
This follows the embassy’s confirmation that three Kenyans are currently missing in Myanmar, a nation troubled by increasing crimes against humanity and war crimes, as recently highlighted by United Nations investigators.
In a strongly-worded statement issued on Friday, the embassy responsible for Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Vietnam, and Myanmar conveyed escalating concern and frustration regarding the situation.
The embassy observed that despite receiving multiple warnings, Kenyans still fall prey to human traffickers in Myanmar and Laos, frequently lured by fraudulent job offers supposedly located in Thailand.
“The Embassy and Kenyans in Thailand faced the challenge of finding resources to bring the deceased back home for burial, while the traffickers roam free, enjoying their ill-gotten gains,” stated a recent announcement regarding a case where a Kenyan woman died in her Bangkok room due to what doctors identified as a blood clot.
The embassy, under the leadership of Ambassador Kiptiness Lindsay Kimwole, emphasized the risks associated with rescuing people from scam operations in Myanmar and Laos. These dangers are heightened by both the ongoing civil war and criminal networks active in the area.
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The statement highlighted that rescuing individuals from the scam factories within Myanmar and Lao PDR is a highly perilous and risky endeavor.
Since 2022, the embassy has successfully rescued and repatriated over 140 Kenyans and other Africans from trafficking situations in Myanmar and Laos.
The embassy expressed regret, noting that “even after numerous warnings to Kenyans via various media channels, many still travel to Myanmar, primarily through Thailand.”
The statement also noted that some Kenyans who were trafficked have now become agents of trafficking, working for criminal cartels.
The embassy noted that it is even more frustrating to realize some Kenyans working in the scam compounds in Myanmar have become trafficking agents.
The embassy provided additional information on the methods employed by traffickers, highlighting how they sell overpriced and frequently counterfeit visas. In some cases, victims have been charged as much as Ksh 300,000 for a Thai tourist visa that should actually cost between Ksh 8,000 and Ksh 10,000.
Upon arriving in Thailand, victims frequently discover that the promised jobs are nonexistent, leaving them isolated and impoverished.
The statement disclosed that some trafficked Kenyans have become destitute in Bangkok, forced to sleep on the streets and beg for food from strangers.
It also highlighted an increase in trafficking for prostitution, where young girls from Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda are being trafficked by other East Africans and sold online.
The embassy’s alert urges Kenyans to be more vigilant and serves as a reminder of the severe consequences that can result from becoming entangled in these trafficking networks.
