Tourists enjoy the scenic views of the Chao Phraya River, with Wat Arun visible in the background. (Photo: Apichart Jinakul)
HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s Security Bureau has dispatched a task force to Thailand to meet local authorities amid a resurgence in residents being lured to Southeast Asian countries under false pretences and forced into illegal work.
Local authorities have come under renewed pressure to ensure the return of Hong Kong residents believed to be held captive following the rescue of mainland Chinese actor Wang Xing, who had been kidnapped along the Thai-Myanmar border.
The South China Morning Post breaks down when kidnappings started, how the government has responded, and what residents can do to protect themselves.
1. When did Hongkongers start getting caught up in scams?
In July 2022, the government revealed that some residents had been deceived into travelling to Southeast Asia, where they were forced to take part in scams.
The individuals were held captive, with one of the locations being the notorious “KK Park”, a Chinese-run “fraud factory” at the Myanmar-Thailand border where thousands of forced labourers were detained.
That year, the Security Bureau launched a dedicated task force to coordinate the rescue efforts of residents trapped in such scams.
Between 2022 and early 2023, the government received 46 requests for help from Hongkongers trapped in compounds in Myanmar and Cambodia.
News of victims falling prey to the job scams quietened down for most of 2024 until last month when Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung revealed that cases of misled residents were once again being reported.
But it was the rescue of mainland actor Wang, also known as Xingxing, by Thai authorities last week that thrust the matter back into the spotlight, prompting some local family members of victims to urge the administration to ask Beijing for help to speed up rescue efforts.
2. How has the government responded to the situation?
Hong Kong law enforcement had received 28 requests for help from residents believed to have been t
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