In a region celebrated for its cultural diversity and burgeoning economic integration, the ASEAN visa-free travel policy has long been hailed as a cornerstone of unity. Designed to facilitate movement among the 10 member states, it has fostered tourism, trade, and cultural exchange. Yet, beneath this veneer of progress lies a darker reality: the policy has inadvertently become a conduit for human trafficking, with thousands of vulnerable individuals lured into modern-day slavery under the guise of lucrative job opportunities. Nowhere is this crisis more evident than in Myawaddy, a border town in Myanmar’s eastern Kayin State, where a recent crackdown by the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) exposed the harrowing plight of alleged scam centre workers and victims.
On 26 February 2025, images of individuals sitting on the ground during a raid on the KK Park complex in Myawaddy surfaced, painting a grim picture of exploitation. Among the victims are hundreds of Indonesians, with the Indonesian Foreign Ministry recently revising the number of captives in the area to 525 from an earlier estimate of 366. This sharp increase underscores the scale of a problem that ASEAN governments have been slow to address collectively. While joint operations, such as the recent Thai-Indonesian mission to rescue 84 individuals, offer glimmers of hope, they are but temporary fixes to a systemic issue that demands urgent regional action.
A Gateway to Exploitation
Myawaddy, located near the Thai border across the Moei River from Mae Sot, has become a notorious hub for cross-border crime amid Myanmar’s ongoing civil war. The town lies in rebel-held Karen territory, far from the control of the military junta in Naypyidaw, creating a lawless enclave where trafficking syndicates thrive. For many Indonesians, the journey to Myawaddy begins with a promise of high-paying tech jobs advertised online. They fly into Thailand under the visa-free arrangement, only to be driven across the border—often unaware of their true destination—where their passports are confiscated, and they are forced into online scam operations. 
The stories of those who have escaped are chilling. Victims describe being held in dark rooms with minimal food and water, subjected to torture if they fail to meet quotas for scams targeting their compatriots back home. These scams range from financial fraud to online gambling, with operations traced to Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, forming a multibillion-dollar industry. Indonesians are not the only victims; Chinese nationals and others are also ensnared, though Indonesians appear to constitute one of the largest groups in Myawaddy.
What makes this crisis particularly insidious is the profile of the victims. Far from the stereotype of uneducated migrant workers, many are computer-literate individuals, including a former member of the Sukabumi legislative council in West Java. Driven by limited job prospects at home and enticed by salaries unattainable in Indonesia, they take risks that lead them into the hands of traffickers. Syndicates exploit personal networks through a “member gets member” recruitment strategy, coercing victims to lure friends and relatives under threat of violence—a far cry from the bonuses typically associated with such schemes.
The Role of ASEAN’s Visa-Free Policy
The visa-free travel facility, a key pillar of the ASEAN Community project, has undeniably eased movement across borders. Yet, it has also lowered barriers for traffickers, who exploit the policy to transport victims with minimal scrutiny. This is not to suggest that the arrangement should be scrapped—its benefits for regional integration are undeniable—but it does highlight a critical oversight in implementation. Without robust safeguards, such as coordinated border checks and public awareness campaigns, the policy remains a double-edged sword.
Critics argue that ASEAN’s response has been lacklustre, marked by the so-called “ASEAN Way” of consensus-driven decision-making that often delays urgent action. While individual governments, notably Thailand and Indonesia, have taken steps to rescue their citizens, there is little evidence of a unified regional strategy to tackle the root causes of trafficking. Preventing victims from leaving their home countries in the first place—through education about online scams and stricter oversight of suspicious job offers—remains a glaring gap in policy.
Thailand’s proximity to Myawaddy has positioned it as a key player in rescue efforts, with access through Mae Sot proving vital. Meanwhile, Myanmar’s internal conflict complicates matters, as the junta’s limited control over Karen State restricts its ability to assist. Though Naypyidaw has offered some support in securing releases, the bulk of assistance has come from Thailand, highlighting the uneven burden-sharing among ASEAN states.
A Call for Regional Accountability
The human trafficking crisis in Myawaddy is not merely a national issue for Indonesia, Thailand, or Myanmar—it is a regional failure that demands collective accountability. ASEAN, as the architect of the visa-free policy, bears a moral responsibility to mitigate its unintended consequences. This requires moving beyond ad hoc rescue operations to address systemic vulnerabilities. Governments must collaborate on intelligence-sharing to dismantle trafficking networks, while investing in public campaigns to warn citizens of online scams. Stricter border controls, without undermining the spirit of visa-free travel, could also deter syndicates from exploiting the policy.
Moreover, ASEAN must prioritise the protection of vulnerable populations. Indonesia, for instance, faces structural challenges with limited job opportunities driving citizens to seek work abroad. Addressing these economic disparities through domestic reforms and regional cooperation on labour mobility could reduce the desperation that traffickers prey upon. At the same time, legal frameworks across member states need harmonisation to ensure that traffickers face consistent penalties, regardless of where they operate.
The scale of the problem in Myawaddy suggests that current efforts are insufficient. The Indonesian Foreign Ministry’s struggle to gather accurate data on captives, compounded by Myanmar’s civil war, points to the need for innovative solutions. Engaging with local actors, including rebel groups in Karen State who control Myawaddy, may be controversial but necessary to secure safe passage for victims. International partners, such as the United Nations or NGOs with expertise in trafficking, could also bolster ASEAN’s capacity to respond.
Beyond Rescue: A Long Road to Recovery
For the hundreds of Indonesians still trapped in Myawaddy, rescue is only the first step. Survivors face immense psychological trauma from their ordeals, compounded by the stigma of having been forced to perpetrate scams against their own communities. Reintegration programmes, supported by both government and civil society, are essential to help them rebuild their lives. ASEAN could play a pivotal role by establishing a regional fund for trafficking survivors, ensuring that financial constraints do not hinder recovery efforts.
There is also the question of justice. While crackdowns like the one at KK Park are commendable, they often target low-level operatives rather than the masterminds behind these multibillion-dollar networks. ASEAN governments must commit to tracing the financial flows of these syndicates, working with global partners to disrupt their operations at the source. Without dismantling the economic incentives for trafficking, rescues will remain a game of whack-a-mole—temporary victories in an endless battle.
A Test for ASEAN’s Unity
The crisis in Myawaddy is a stark reminder that regional integration, while a noble goal, comes with unforeseen challenges. ASEAN’s visa-free policy has opened doors to opportunity, but it has also exposed vulnerabilities that criminal networks are quick to exploit. If the grouping is to uphold its vision of a people-centric community, it cannot afford to treat human trafficking as a peripheral issue. Lives and dignity are at stake, and the time for decisive action is now.
Speculative claims about the full extent of trafficking in Myawaddy remain just that—speculative—given the lack of comprehensive data amid Myanmar’s conflict. If confirmed, however, the numbers could reveal an even graver crisis than currently understood, potentially implicating broader failures in regional governance. For now, with no evidence to substantiate the worst-case scenarios, the focus must remain on verifiable actions: rescues, prevention, and accountability.
As ASEAN navigates this complex terrain, it faces a critical test of its unity and resolve. The visa-free policy need not be a liability—it can be a catalyst for stronger cooperation. But this requires abandoning the inertia of the “ASEAN Way” in favour of bold, collective measures. Only then can the region transform a policy of openness into a shield against exploitation, ensuring that no citizen is left to suffer in the shadows of progress.
