Chinese national missing in Thailand rescued, embassy warns of shady job offers, China News
The embassy said in a statement that the rescue of a person with the surname Zhong was a joint effort of various parties but did not release details. The embassy did not give the person's full name or reveal their gender.
China's state-backed local media reported on Friday (July 4) that a 23-year-old Chinese man by the surname Zhong had been tricked and trafficked into Myanmar after arriving in Thailand for a magazine cover photoshoot in early June.
His sister, who received a suspicious call from him weeks ago when he was in an unidentified location in Myanmar, had reported him missing to police in Guangzhou and Bangkok, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said.
The embassy in Bangkok warned Chinese citizens to be vigilant against dubious "high-paying jobs" overseas, clarifying that Thailand requires foreign nationals to obtain appropriate permits to work there.
The warning comes as concerns about human trafficking and fraudulent employment schemes targeting Chinese nationals abroad grow.
Criminal networks have trafficked hundreds of thousands of people to scam compounds across Southeast Asia, many along the Thai-Myanmar border, where victims are forced to work in illegal online schemes, according to the United Nations.
The latest incident echoes a similar case that caught national interest in January, when a 31-year-old Chinese actor was duped into a film job in Thailand only to be kidnapped and taken to an online scam compound in Myanmar to work. He was eventually freed by Thai police.
After that case, China and Thailand agreed to set up a coordination centre in Bangkok to investigate and combat the scam complexes.
The Chinese embassy in Myanmar published a long notice on its WeChat account on Friday addressing the "emergence of new telecommunication network fraud methods".
It listed tips and 20 key phrases to look out for, aimed at educating the public in identifying frauds.
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The younger Mr Ng says: 'The old building was reminiscent of an old men's club, it was difficult to attract young people… It's so much better now – it's more comfortable, and there's a more conducive space for our youth wing activities. ' 'With the renovation, Huang Clan has fortunately transcended the issues of lack of funds, due to the sustainability of the premises and its attractiveness to our youth members.' Opposition to the redevelopment The redevelopment was not without its difficulties. 'Normally, you see mixed residential and commercial developments , but this was the first time anyone wanted to mix clan associations with residential use,' says Mr Stanley Ng. The unique nature of the deal saw his father engaging in extensive talks with potential developers, legal advisers, and clan members. 'We are the first clan in Singapore to have done anything like this. Originally, our lawyers thought that it wouldn't even have been possible,' says Mr Ng Poh Wah. 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For the Huang Clan, the sacrifices that came with reconstructing its premises were necessary for the larger purpose of renewal. The elder Mr Ng, who also chairs the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations' Member Affairs Committee, says: 'Not all clans are able to replicate what we did due to constraints like land. However, the most crucial issue still lies in getting people on board with change.' He says: 'There are clan elders who want things to stay on as they are forever. We have to make progress as times change so that succession can happen.'
