Myanmar/Johannesburg – A South African woman trapped in a compound in Myanmar, close to the Thai border, has described her ordeal as a living nightmare, revealing the horrific conditions she and other South Africans are enduring. The woman, whose identity is being withheld to protect her safety, detailed a harrowing existence marked by starvation, squalor, and forced labour, a far cry from the lucrative opportunities they were promised.
"I feel like I'm living a nightmare I can't wake up from. All I wanted was to come here and, as a single parent, give my daughter a better life," the woman lamented. "I failed dismally. I cry at night, not knowing if I'm going to make it back to my daughter."
The woman, along with 24 other South Africans, are surviving on meagre rations of rice, spoiled vegetables, and chicken, forced to sleep on wooden planks, and drink filthy water. The woman described the situation as "dire", saying they suffer from stomach cramps and do not have access to medical care.
Like the rest of the group, the woman said she was lured to Thailand in November with promises of lucrative "internet promoter" positions, high salaries, free accommodation, and paid comprehensive travel expenses. They arrived in Bangkok on 14 November and were transported for hours to a hotel. The following day, armed men took them across the border into Myanmar.
"We weren't aware of it at the time and assumed that we were still in Thailand. Once we crossed the border, a car picked us up and took us to the compound – KK Park."
The reality of the compound was a stark contrast to what they had been promised. Instead of engaging in work as an internet promoter, she said they were informed, amid laughter, that they were expected to work as "scammers".
"We were brought to one compound with different companies instead. It looks like flats, but there are shopping places in here as well," she said.
Surrounded by armed guards, they were further intimidated by threats of having to pay a R50 000 penalty if they refused to comply.
"They brainwashed us about the dangers behind these gates and said they would not be responsible if anything were to happen as we are in Myanmar, and it's a very dangerous country with no government.
"We were forced to work here to raise funds to 'buy' ourselves out. Most of us come from poor backgrounds, and our families aren't in the position to help us with the funds to get us out of the company," she said.
"There are various companies in the compound and many nationalities from all over the world who were lured with promises of better opportunities to help their families back home.
"We aren't getting any of the money which was mentioned when we did the interviews before coming here."
Things drastically changed in February this year when Thai authorities launched a massive crackdown on notorious scam centres in Myanmar and rescued thousands of people.
"This gave us the slightest bit of hope that we might be rescued," she said.
And indeed, the military came to rescue the group, but their ordeal was not over because the soldiers just moved them into another building in the compound.
She said progress had been slow, and many, including the 25 South Africans, remained stuck in the compound, waiting to be returned to their families.
"We are still stationed in the compound. It's been almost two weeks since we were rescued, and we have absolutely no clue how much longer we will be stuck here because our embassies are very unresponsive."
The woman described the conditions at the compound as her "worst experience".
"We are being treated like dogs. Mentally, this will forever affect us. The conditions we live in are indescribable."
She said they had limited phone access, which made communicating with their families difficult, and their privacy was also routinely violated.
"You can get a military man just walking into a room filled with 10 to 12 women, at any time, without knocking."
Accounts of inadequate food and water, lack of medical attention, and cramped sleeping arrangements paint a bleak picture.
"We get sick because of the unhygienic food we are forced to consume. We get three meals per day, but they are not edible. It's rotten chicken and unfamiliar food that gives us tummy aches and runny tummies.
"There are always eggs and rotten veggies. It just doesn't look or taste normal. The majority of us just eat dry rice. Most of us don't eat, so we barely have energy and are weak.
"We can go for hours without water, and when we do get it, it's dirty."
The woman has pleaded with the South African government to escalate its intervention and rescue them.
"I have missed out on so much time with my daughter. All I want right now is to be safe and sound with her.
"Most of us are having mental breakdowns because all we want to do is go home, but they treat us as though we committed a crime. We are pleading and begging for assistance," she said.
Department of International Relations and Cooperation spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said 32 South Africans were victims of a human trafficking operation.
"These individuals were lured under the false pretences of work opportunities in Thailand, only to be forcibly relocated to Myanmar. Once there, they were coerced into performing scamming activities against their will.
"Local police successfully rescued these nationals following a raid on the property where they were held captive," he said.
Phiri added the embassy was actively exploring avenues to secure the necessary financial assistance to repatriate those still stuck in Myanmar.
"Seven citizens have been repatriated so far. The plight of these individuals underscores the urgent need for collaborative international efforts to combat human trafficking and provide support for its victims," he said.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation said the local embassy was working on ways to fund the group's repatriation.
