Deep Dive: Hong Kong’s efforts to save victims of Southeast Asian job scams

Hong Kong’s Security Bureau sent a task force to Thailand earlier this month. They met local authorities amid a resurgence in residents being lured to Southeast Asia and forced into illegal work.

The government has come under pressure to ensure the return of Hong Kong residents believed to be held captive. The calls follow the rescue of mainland Chinese actor Wang Xing. He had been kidnapped along the Thailand-Myanmar border.

Undersecretary for Security Michael Cheuk Hau-yip led the six-member group on its trip to Thailand. He said the Thai government was very concerned.

“We have been in contact with the relevant authorities all along. Given the latest developments, we aim to communicate with them in person, understand the situation and then seek feasible ways of getting assistance from them,” he said before the task force set off.

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Cheuk said the groups behind the kidnappings had changed tactics. Previously, they had promised high-paying, fake jobs. Now, they have been arranging for victims to transport goods.

“They ask you to ‘take goods’ to Taiwan, Japan or other places. At the last moment, they say the destination has been changed to somewhere in Southeast Asia,” he said.

Former district councillor Andy Yu Tak-po has helped family members of kidnapped Hongkongers. He said he had received many pleas for assistance.

One of these family members, who only identified herself as Mary, said she had only received a 30-second call since her loved one went missing for “a job” a few months ago. She hoped the task force would be able to save those being held captive.

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. Seventeen people had returned to the city as of January 16.

Some of the victims were held in “KK Park”, the Chinese-run scam farm in Southeast Asia that houses thousands of forced labourers.

The Hong Kong government has advised people to stay alert of job scams. It also issued a red travel alert for southeastern areas of Myanmar, warning travellers to avoid non-essential visits to the districts of Myawaddy, Hpapun, Hpa-An and Kawkareik.

Staff writers

1. Based on News, how have scammers changed their tactics to lure Hong Kong residents into illegal work in Southeast Asia?

2. List TWO actions taken by the Hong Kong government to help residents trapped in Southeast Asia.

3. Can the task force help prevent people from falling for job scams? Explain using News, Glossary and your own knowledge.

1. Using the information presented in News, who might the people in the photo be? Why are they holding signs outside the Central Government Offices?

2. How can Hongkongers protect themselves from falling victim to job scams? Explain using News, Glossary and your own knowledge.

• New 24-hour hotline and a mobile application for tourists are among the new measures to safeguard visitors

• Some have proposed new anti-human trafficking legislation in Hong Kong, though others argue current laws are sufficient

Authorities in Thailand will roll out a number of measures to ensure visitor safety as part of efforts to combat human trafficking in Southeast Asia.

A new 24-hour hotline and a mobile application for tourists have already been launched.

Hong Kong’s Undersecretary for Security, Michael Cheuk Hau-yip, said the hotline was available in eight languages, while the app allowed tourists to share their location with police.

“If registered [with the app], users can also send an ‘SOS’ signal with their location to police in their locale,” Cheuk said.

Captain Titiporn Kuptanond of Thailand’s tourist police bureau said Chinese tourists were the top users of the emergency assistance app when it was launched last month. Authorities had also received requests for help from a few Hongkongers.

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has ordered police and other law enforcement agencies in the country to step up measures to ensure the safety of tourists and to enhance oversight of borders.

Cheuk said progress had been made to rescue Hongkongers trapped in Southeast Asia following meetings with various high-ranking officials in Thailand. He said Thai authorities had shared intelligence with the group, including how to rescue the victims.

“The locations where they [the stranded Hongkongers] are now in Myanmar are relatively disorderly with regional armed forces present and are not safe. We will continue to try to meet Myanmese and Cambodian authorities,” Cheuk said.

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In addition, Hong Kong authorities will thoroughly investigate whether intermediaries luring residents into illegal work in Southeast Asia are being directly controlled by crime syndicates, Secretary for Security Tang Chris Tang Ping-keung has pledged.

He noted that about two-thirds of reported cases were linked to online adverts, while the remainder involved intermediaries linked to scam farms approaching victims at entertainment venues.

“At present, the intermediaries seem to be individual cases, but we can’t let down our guard. We must thoroughly investigate whether some syndicates are pulling the strings behind the scenes,” he said.

Executive Council member Ronny Tong Ka-wah suggested introducing specific anti-human trafficking to address such fraud more effectively.

However, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok said authorities believed the current combination of criminal laws sufficiently addressed the human trafficking challenge, noting that a review might draw unwelcome attention.

“Human trafficking is something that many foreign countries have been paying attention to in Hong Kong for a long time. So we must handle it very carefully and not give people an excuse to attack Hong Kong unfairly in this regard,” he said.

Staff writers

1. List TWO measures Thai authorities have introduced to ensure tourist safety.

2. Why hasn’t the Hong Kong government introduced specific anti-human trafficking legislation, according to Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok?

3. What challenges do Hong Kong authorities face in rescuing residents stranded in Myanmar? Explain using News, Issue, Glossary and your own knowledge.

1. How does the graphic relate to the information presented in News and Issue?

2. How severe is the current situation of job scams in Southeast Asia? Explain using News, Issue, Glossary and your own knowledge.

resurgence: an increase after a period of little activity or occurrence. For example, the Hong Kong government reported cases of job scams as far back as July 2022. However, news of victims falling prey to these scams quietened down for most of 2024. Then, in December, Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung revealed that cases were being reported again.

held captive: to keep someone prisoner or prevent them from leaving. Between 2022 and early 2023, the Hong Kong government received 46 requests for assistance from residents being held captive in Myanmar and Cambodia.

KK Park: a name for the fraud factories in Myawaddy, Myanmar, next to the Moei River on the Myanmar–Thailand border. Reports say people kept there are made to perform online scams. They are also forced to work 17-hour workdays and frequently spied on, tortured, and threatened.

human trafficking: the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of people through force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them for profit. This exploitation may include forced labour, sexual slavery, or other forms of commercial sexual exploitation.

regional armed forces: groups or organisations that operate outside a country’s formal military structure, often in a specific area. They are typically modelled after formal military organisations and may have similar training and equipment.

1. Scam syndicates have started enticing victims by pretending to hire them to transport goods to Japan or Taiwan before saying the destination has been changed to Southeast Asia. Then, they are taken and held captive. Previously, victims were lured with promises of high-paying jobs.

2. The Hong Kong government sent a six-member task force to Thailand to meet with local authorities so they could communicate in person, understand the situation, and seek feasible ways to secure assistance. Additionally, the government issued a red travel alert for southeastern areas of Myanmar, warning residents to avoid non-essential visits to specific districts.

3. The government’s task force to rescue victims detained in scam farms in Southeast Asia could help raise awareness of these scams. Still, it remains unlikely it will lead to the immediate return of those being held captive, as there are many obstacles in the way.

The high-profile trip can remind residents to think twice before agreeing to these jobs. However, additional outreach measures are still needed, especially since scammers have recently changed their recruitment tactics. (accept all reasonable answers)

1. They are family members of victims who have been lured to Southeast Asia and forced into illegal work. They are holding signs calling for the Hong Kong government to step up efforts to rescue the victims.

2. Hongkongers can protect themselves from falling victim to scams by carefully verifying job offers and travel arrangements, especially those that seem too good to be true or involve unusual circumstances. They should be wary of last-minute changes to destinations or plans, as this is a common tactic used by scam syndicates. It is crucial to avoid relying on unverified intermediaries or unknown agents for travel or job-related bookings and instead work with trusted and reputable agencies. Staying informed about government-issued travel alerts, such as the red travel alert for southeastern Myanmar, and avoiding non-essential travel to high-risk areas is essential. Finally, by staying informed and educated about common scam tactics, such as pretending to hire purchasing agents or providing fake flight tickets, and learning from public awareness campaigns, Hongkongers can better recognise and avoid falling prey to these schemes. (accept all reasonable answers)

1. Thai authorities have introduced a 24-hour hotline available in eight languages and a mobile application for tourists. The app allows users to share their location with police and send an “SOS” signal if needed. Additionally, the Thai Prime Minister has ordered police and law enforcement agencies to step up measures to ensure the safety of tourists and enhance border oversight.

2. Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok stated that the current combination of criminal laws is sufficient to address the human trafficking challenge. He also noted that introducing specific legislation might draw unwelcome attention and give foreign countries an excuse to unfairly criticise Hong Kong.

3. The crux of the issue lies in navigating the complex and dangerous environments where the victims are trapped. These regions, particularly in southeastern Myanmar, are plagued by political instability, armed conflicts, and limited government control, which create significant obstacles for any intervention. Additionally, the lack of specific anti-human trafficking legislation in Hong Kong has sparked debate about whether existing laws are sufficient to address the problem effectively.

To ensure the return of victims, authorities could enhance regional cooperation and strengthen collaboration with governments and law enforcement agencies in Southeast Asia, including joint rescue operations and intelligence sharing. Authorities can also engage international organisations by partnering with NGOs and international bodies specialising in human trafficking to access resources, expertise, and networks. (accept all reasonable answers)

1. It shows people being locked in cages, representing the people who have fallen victim to job scams and are being held captive in Southeast Asia.

2. The situation has become severe following a sudden increase in missing persons reports in the last months of 2024, pleas for assistance by the families of victims and the recent rescue of mainland Chinese actor Wang Xing, who fell prey to a human trafficking network.

Between 2022 and early 2023, the government received 46 requests for assistance from Hongkongers trapped in compounds in Myanmar and Cambodia. From the second quarter of 2024 to January 14, Hong Kong law enforcement received 28 requests for help from residents believed to have been trapped in Southeast Asian countries and unable to leave, according to the Security Bureau.