Hong Kong to send task force to Thailand to look into cases of trapped residents
Situation returns to spotlight after rescue effort to save mainland Chinese actor Wang Xing, who was kidnapped along Thailand-Myanmar border
Hong Kong’s Security Bureau is sending a task force to Thailand on Sunday to follow up on cases involving residents being lured to Southeast Asian countries and forced into illegal work.
The situation returned to the spotlight after mainland Chinese actor Wang Xing was kidnapped along the border between Thailand and Myanmar, prompting a joint rescue effort involving Chinese authorities. He returned home safe last week.
Hong Kong law enforcement had received 28 requests for help from residents believed to have been trapped in Southeast Asian countries and unable to leave since the second quarter of 2024, the Security Bureau said. Sixteen people had been returned to the city so far.
Some of the remaining 12 cases involved reports of restrictions to freedom of movement, but the victims said they remained safe and able to communicate with their families or the task force.
Undersecretary for Security Michael Cheuk Hau-yip will lead the 11-strong task force. The group will fly to Bangkok at 8.25pm on a flight operated by Cathay Pacific Airways.
Former district councillor Andy Yu Tak-po, who has helped family members of kidnapped Hong Kong residents, said he had received seven pleas for assistance.
