Owaisi urges Jaishankar to rescue Indians "enslaved" at Myanmar-Thailand border
Hyderabad, January 22
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to "urgently intervene to ensure the rescue" of all Indian citizens stranded at the Myanmar-Thailand border.
Sharing an X post, Owaisi said he had received a "distressing message" and was informed that at least 16 Indian nationals, including three from Hyderabad, were promised jobs in Thailand but taken to the Myanmar-Thailand border and enslaved.
"I have received a distressing message: at least 16 Indian nationals, including three from Hyderabad, were promised jobs in Thailand but taken to the Myanmar-Thailand border and enslaved. They are forced to work 18-20 hours daily, physically punished, and deprived of passports, phones, and medical facilities," Owaisi said in his post.
He further said he got the information that Mir Sajjad Ali, a resident of Hyderabad's Osman Nagar currently incarcerated at the Myanmar-Thailand border.
"@DrSJaishankar, kindly intervene urgently to ensure the rescue of all Indians. This information comes from Mir Sajjad Ali, a resident of Osman Nagar, Hyderabad, currently incarcerated at the Myanmar-Thailand border. Two others with him are from Maula Ali and Banjara Hills," Owaisi added.
Further, speaking to ANI on the same issue, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader NV Subhash said that "human trafficking become a big business" and "people are lured" with promises of jobs and money.
"Human trafficking has become a big business, where people are lured with promises of jobs and money and then sent abroad. We have heard that 16 people have been trapped, out of which 4 to 5 are from Hyderabad, currently stuck in Thailand and other countries," Subhash said.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Human trafficking is a serious issue. We need stricter laws and awareness campaigns in villages and towns about these fake job rackets. Hope MEA brings our brothers and sisters home safely.
While the urgency is correct, I wish our political leaders showed this same speed and unity on domestic issues like unemployment that push people into these traps in the first place. Just a thought.
Jaishankar sir has a strong record in diplomacy. I'm confident our embassies will coordinate with Thai/Myanmar authorities for a rescue. We must support our citizens abroad no matter what.
18-20 hours of work and physical punishment? This is modern-day slavery. Shame on these traffickers. Parents, please advise your children to verify any overseas job offers thoroughly through government portals.
Good to see a cross-party concern on this. Human trafficking is a global crime. India should lead regional efforts to crack down on these networks operating in Southeast Asia.
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