Yang Lei, 40, a tour guide from Sanya city, Hainan province, joined an "adventure tour" to the Thailand-Myanmar border on 6/3. He believed the border region was safe, citing reports of government crackdowns on criminal activity.
However, the local guide led the group past a checkpoint, where they encountered human traffickers. The 11 members were then taken to a remote border area in Myanmar and sold for 20,000 USDT each, a cryptocurrency pegged to the US dollar.
Yang was subsequently taken to a scam compound in Payathonzu town, near Three Pagodas Pass. He recounted that the compound held over 300 people, enclosed by a 6-meter high wall, barbed wire, and armed patrols. Managers reportedly used physical abuse to control the workers.
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Yang Lei from Sanya city, Hainan province, China, recounts his escape from a scam compound near the Myanmar-Thailand border after returning home safely. Photo: Baidu.
A former infantry soldier who enlisted in 2002, Yang quickly adapted to his new environment. On his first night, he assaulted the deceptive guide to impress the compound managers. This act earned him phone charging privileges and a call home. He used this time to memorize the compound's layout and patrol schedules, seeking security vulnerabilities.
On the night of 17/3, taking advantage of the guards' inattention, Yang slipped behind the dormitory. Applying his military obstacle course training, he piled sandbags and wooden planks to create a makeshift platform to scale the wall. "I hooked my hands onto the wall's edge, using my strength to swing myself over," Yang recounted.
The scam organization quickly discovered his escape and deployed trained dogs to track him into the mountains. Yang fled into the dense forest, smearing cow dung on himself to mask his scent. He utilized his survival skills to locate water, navigate thorny thickets, and move towards the border, 3 km away.
By 1h AM, Yang encountered armed guards near the border line. He hid until 3h AM, then used a rope to subdue one of the guards before crossing the border. While on the move, he messaged former comrades and police for help.
In the early morning of 19/3, Yang successfully crossed into Thai territory. He hid during the day and traveled under the cover of night. With his phone battery at 17%, he encountered a local resident and managed to contact the Chinese Embassy. Two weeks later, Yang received a new passport and returned to China.
Recounting his ordeal on social media in late April, Yang revealed that the compound he was held in detained over 300 people. He estimated there were more than a dozen similar compounds in the vicinity. He witnessed many young individuals trapped for 5 years, subjected to brutal labor exploitation. "Even now, I still dream of myself running through the mountains, waking up drenched in sweat," Yang shared.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported that at least 120,000 individuals in Myanmar and 100,000 in Cambodia are forced to work in online scam centers.
The former soldier warned tourists against participating in unauthorized travel programs in border regions, urging them to respect national borders for their safety.
By Minh Phuong (Source: SCMP, HK01)
