Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reported the release of two Kazakh nationals from labor slavery in Thailand. In January the country’s consulate in Thailand received a message saying that a Kazakh woman had been enslaved in the Golden Triangle — a geographical area in Southeast Asia that includes Thailand, Myanmar and Laos, known for its large volumes of drug production and trade. The trapped girl had asked for help.
After working with local authorities, they learned that not one but two girls were enslaved. Ministry representatives spent about a month negotiating the release of the girls, before they were released and returned home.
It transpired that the girls had been duped by an advertisement offering a high-paying job that turned out to be a scam. In order to buy their freedom, their captor demanded $10,000 from each of the girls.
About 200 citizens of Kazakhstan have fallen into labor slavery in these territories over the past two years. About 30 of them were able to be freed with the help of the local Kazakh embassy. The ministry claims that about 100 Kazakhs are still enslaved laborers in the countries of Southeast Asia.
