February 2025 was a month to be remembered in TRAGAST. There were excellent trainings by both the Peace Culture Foundation and the Rotary Club of Chiang Mai Wattana teams. Articles are below. "Matching Magic" is an urgent appeal to support a TRAGAST fundraising project with all proceeds going to support Peace Culture Foundation Child Protection Training.
We also have a report from A21 with an urgent appeal. The truth is the situation in Myanmar is deplorable! While releasing prisoners from scam centers is the humane and correct thing to do, there are even more people in desperate need of basic support. Please help if you can.
The purpose of this campaign is to fund the training of at least 500 children. We calculate the average cost is only ฿200 per child in groups of 80 or more. Bottom line our goal is to raise a minimum of ฿100,000 THB ($2,900 USD). Please transfer your donation to our programs account:
Bangkok Bank
Pratu Chang Phuak Branch
125 Chang phuak Rd, T.Sriphum A. Muang
Chiangmai 50300 Thailand
Swift Code: BKKBTHBK
Account Number: 390-4-85760-8
Name on Account: PONGSAWART NIYOMCA & GERALD EDWARD NELSON
We have a long way to go. However, with your kind generosity and that of our matching funds sponsors we can do this! Please donate today and remember ฿2,000 (the cost of a nice dinner) is enough to train 10 children!
As we step into 2025, the Peace Culture Foundation (PCF) remains committed to protecting children and youth from all forms of violence. Over the past few months, we’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with multiple sectors, allowing us to expand our reach into diverse communities. We are especially encouraged to see increasing awareness of child and youth sexual violence prevention, particularly the issue of grooming.
In December 2024, PCF hosted an online training session for parents, guardians, and caregivers titled "Digital Parenting: Navigating Online Sexual Risks in the Digital Age." This session aimed to raise awareness about the growing severity of online child sexual exploitation, highlighting the sophisticated tactics used to target children. Participants overwhelmingly expressed that this information is crucial for all caregivers to understand in order to effectively protect their children. We’ve also made the training available for those who couldn’t attend live. You can watch the recording here: https://youtu.be/aMN4mLLrqiI.
In January 2025, we had the privilege of traveling to Bangkok, supported by the Department of Women's Affairs and Family Development under the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security. We served as speakers at a workshop focused on implementing measures to prevent and address sexual harassment and abuse. Dr. Sombat Tapanya led a key discussion on “Sexual Harassment and Abuse: The Hidden Threat in Sports,” alongside clinical psychologist and PCF volunteer Suphatree Laohaviraphap. This collaboration marks the beginning of our efforts to strengthen sexual violence prevention in youth sports—a pressing global issue that demands attention and action.
This February, we hosted another Digital Parenting workshop, this time in-person at Renshinkan Dojo. The session received great feedback from parents and caregivers who attended. Later this month, we are also honored to observe a training workshop led by The Exodus Road on preventing child trafficking. This will be an invaluable opportunity to learn best practices and explore potential collaborations to enhance the effectiveness of our work.
Looking ahead, we are determined to keep driving preventive efforts forward—working with children, youth, parents, and multidisciplinary professionals. Our focus remains on building awareness through activities designed by psychologists, staying true to our mission of fostering a safer future for all.
The Rotary Club of Chiang Mai Wattana has been busy conducting Anti Human Trafficking training. On February 11th, training was conducted at Wat Srisupan Municipal School. Topics covered included Role Playing, Techniques, Causes of human trafficking and Prevention. Some 80 Students were in attendance.
On 28 February I had the honor of observing the training at Wat Suondok School. More than half of the students are ethnic minorities! Two were novice monks (Nane).
There are plans to return to Wat Suandok on 31 March to train parents. There are also plans to train and utilize more trainers.
Thousands in limbo on Thai-Myanmar border after scam centre crackdown
Two Myanmar armed groups holding some 7,000 people, reportedly in unsanitary conditions
Thousands of foreigners are detained by the Karen Border Force (BGF) in Myanmar. (Photo supplied/Assawin Pinitwong)
Thousands of foreigners freed from online scam-operating centres in Myanmar are stuck in limbo on the border with Thailand after a multinational crackdown on the compounds run by criminal gangs, three sources told Reuters on Monday.
In recent weeks, authorities from China, Thailand and Myanmar have attempted to dismantle scam centres and illegal online operations on the border, part of a network of illegal compounds across Southeast Asia where hundreds of thousands have been trafficked by gangs, according to the United Nations.
Thai and Cambodian police raided a building in a border town and freed 215 foreigners, a senior Thai official said on Sunday.
- Stuck in limbo -
Two Myanmar armed groups - the Karen National Army (KNA) and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) - are currently holding around 7,000 former scam centre workers but are unable to send them to Thailand, a Thai security official and two aid workers said.
Another source said the Myanmar junta-allied Karen Border Guard Force were holding 6,500 foreigners after cracking down on scam centres in Shwe Kokko and the Chinese-run "KK Park".
The source said the BGF had earlier deported 621 Chinese nationals, but wanted the Thai government and embassies of all countries to coordinate with the Myanmar government to repatriate the remaining foreigners since their presence was a considerable burden for the BGF.
"Many are stuck in limbo and Thailand's lack of response is causing great harm," said one aid worker, currently on the Thai side of the border. "It is like these victims are being revictimised."
Thailand's foreign ministry said that agencies are currently planning for future handovers of those freed, which would "proceed based on the readiness of the embassies or the countries of origin".
KNA and DKBA officials did not respond to calls from Reuters.
The majority of these workers are Chinese, with about 1,000 from other foreign countries, according to the aid workers.
Many of the former scam centre workers are being held in dire conditions and local authorities are concerned about the lack of sanitation and health facilities, they said.
- No capacity for more -
Thai Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said last Thursday that Thailand doesn't have the capacity to accept more people unless foreign embassies repatriate those crossing over.
Thailand this month accepted 260 scam centre workers, more than half of whom were from Ethiopia, which has no embassy in the country.
Thai authorities also allowed China to repatriate 621 of its nationals via a series of flights from a border town last week.
Scam centres have been operating in the region for years, but face renewed scrutiny after the rescue of Chinese actor, Wang Xing, who was lured to Thailand with the promise of a job, and then abducted and taken to one such centre in Myanmar.
Southeast Asian countries have since stepped up efforts to tackle scam centres, including Thailand cutting power, fuel and internet supply to areas linked with scam centres.
Since March 2022, financial losses incurred by victims of telecom scams in Thailand alone stand at 80 billion Thai baht, Thai Police Colonel Kreangkrai Puttaisong told reporters on Monday.
This information was just received from A21 by way of a member of my Rotary Club based in the United States. I mention this source because it shows not only the global problem of human trafficking but the global solution! Of course, A21 needs funding to support these individuals. Please support them as you can.
This information from an A21 appeal that was sent out on 27 February.
A humanitarian crisis is unfolding at the Thailand-Myanmar border. Traffickers have turned the region into a hub for forced criminality and exploitation—where individuals are held against their will, brutally abused, and coerced into online scamming operations.
This past weekend, nearly 260 trafficking victims were released, and local authorities believe this number will continue to grow into the thousands in the coming weeks.These individuals have been through significant trauma and are in desperate need of urgent care.
Our team traveled to the border this weekend to assist–working alongside authorities and other NGOs to ensure these victims receive immediate care and protection.
We’re on the ground right now, but we cannot do this alone.
We need urgent funding in the next 24 hours to sustain our emergency response.
This is where you come in. Your gift today will provide critical support in the following ways:
Emergency Travel & Logistics→ Ensuring our team can reach survivors quickly.
Translation & Crisis Support→ Many survivors don’t speak the local language. Translators play a crucial role in helping to identify victims and coordinate with local authorities.
Comprehensive Victim Screenings→ Every survivor must be assessed to receive proper care, attention, and support.
Crisis Relief → Emergencies like this come with unpredictable challenges. This ensures no survivor is left behind.
Every moment matters. These brave individuals have been freed from exploitation—but their fight for freedom is not over.
Will you take action right now? Will you take action right now? GIVE Here!
As this crisis unfolds, we will keep you updated from the frontlines. Thank you for standing with us in the fight for freedom.
With urgency and hope,
Allen Nunnally A21 Regional Director, Asia-Pacific
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