Takeaways from the AP's reporting into what people face in Myanmar after release from forced labor

MAE SOT, Thailand (AP) — A dramatic and highly publicized operation by the Thai, Chinese and Myanmar authorities has led to the release of more than 7,000 people from online scam compounds in Myanmar.

But what they thought was an end to their ordeal was the beginning of another nightmare. Thousands of young men and women from Asia, Europe and Africa released from modern day slavery are now waiting in an indefinite limbo at repurposed scam centers and army camps controlled by armed militia groups as the first major global effort to crack down on the fast-growing industry of scamming is turning into a growing humanitarian crisis.

A high-profile crackdown

— Gangs running illegal scams have trapped hundreds of thousands of people in locked compounds in Myanmar, Cambodia and other places in Southeast Asia. People who have managed to leave say they were initially lured to Thailand with promises of lucrative jobs, only to find themselves locked in buildings where they describe being forced to sit at computers up to 16 hours a day running scams. Refusing to work could bring beatings, starvation and electric shocks.

— The scams trick people around the world into sending their life savings to fictitious romantic partners or investment opportunities, with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes estimating that anywhere between $18 billion and $37 billion was lost in Asia alone in 2023.

— As outrage grew in China following the kidnapping of a young actor, Beijing pressured authorities in Thailand and Myanmar to act. The Thai government cut off power and electricity, and government-aligned armed groups that control areas near Myanmar's border with Thailand released some 7,000 people from scam centers.

From forced labor to indefinite detention

— But more than a month after the crackdown began, thousands of people are still detained in Myanmar, kept in overcrowded and unhygienic conditions by the armed groups that arranged their release.

— The Associated Press obtained exclusive photos of people squatting in rows, stacked against each other, surgical masks covering some of their eyes and mouths. In clandestine calls, survivors say they fear for their lives as illness is rampant and conditions are unsafe.

— They sleep on floors in army camps or former scam compounds guarded by armed militia groups. They’re crowded in facilities not meant for the sheer numbers. In one army camp, 800 people are sharing 10 toilets, one survivor said.

Waiting for a $600 plane ticket

— Getting home is dependent on the resources available by country. China sent a chartered flight Thursday to the tiny Mae Sot airport to pick up its citizens, but few other governments have matched that. There are roughly 130 Ethiopians waiting on a Thai military base, stuck for want of a $600 plane ticket.

— Their plight has drawn concern from the U.S. State Department and demands for their release from international human rights organizations, but Thai officials won't allowed people to cross the border until their home countries arrange for them to leave immediately. There are a handful of advocacy groups operating at the border helping.

— Thailand is working with embassies to coordinate the release and handover of people, but said it can only handle up to 300 people per day, down from 500 initially.

Business as usual

— Advocates say removing thousands of people from scam compounds won’t stop efforts to illegally steal life savings from Americans and others. No bosses have been arrested.

— Compounds have resources to deal with internet and electricity cuts, running on fuel-powered generators and using satellite internet service provided by Elon Musk's Starlink.

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The Associated Press is investigating cyber scams. If you or someone you know is being or has been held and forced to scam others, here are the ways to get in touch with us. AP’s global investigative team: Investigative@ap.org.

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Mendoza reported for FRONTLINE (PBS).