Myanmar arrests 93 traffickers but none from ‘main hub’ Rakhine

Myanmar police have arrested more than 90 people for human trafficking offences this year, but no cases have been uncovered in Rakhine state despite it being considered a hot spot for trafficking network. In a breakdown of anti-trafficking activities, police captain Min Naing said 56 cases were recorded between January and May. In a report, he added police had made 93 arrests in the last five months. However, the report found there had been no reports of human trafficking cases in Rakhine state this year, despite human rights groups identifying it as a major human trafficking hub.

Most Myanmar victims were sold into forced marriages in China and forced labour in Thailand.

Police Captain Min Naing said in his report.

There is a lot of tension in Rakhine between its Buddhist majority and a heavily-persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority. Myanmar refuses to recognise many of its 1.3 million Rohingya as citizens and places a raft of restrictions on them, such as family size, movements and access to jobs. In recent years tens of thousands of Rohingya have left, fleeing on often deadly voyages across the Bay of Bengal at the hands of ruthless people-smuggling and trafficking networks.

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