Today, I draw your attention to a rapidly evolving and deeply troubling phenomenon: trafficking in persons for forced criminality online—an issue that has taken root across Southeast Asia, South Asia, and parts of Oceania.
Organized criminal networks are exploiting digital platforms and economic vulnerabilities to traffic individuals—often young, educated, and multilingual—into scam compounds masquerading as legitimate workplaces. Victims are coerced into perpetrating cyber-enabled crimes such as cryptocurrency fraud, romance scams, and illegal gambling. These operations are concentrated in Special Economic Zones across Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and the Philippines, but their reach extends globally (UNODC, 2023; OHCHR, 2023).
From a victimological perspective, this form of trafficking presents a dual injustice. First, victims are deceived, confined, and subjected to brutal conditions—beatings, food deprivation, and threats of organ harvesting, among other victimisations. Second, they are criminalised for acts they were forced to commit. Many fear prosecution more than rescue, as legal systems often fail to distinguish between perpetrator and victim (IOM, 2024; Freedom Collaborative, 2024).
We must adopt a rights-based approach that centres victims—not just in rhetoric, but in law and practice. This includes enforcing the non-punishment principle, enhancing cross-border cooperation, and ensuring access to justice and rehabilitation. Victims must be seen not as criminals, but as survivors of transnational exploitation.
Let us act decisively to dismantle these networks and restore dignity to those caught in their web. The cost of inaction is measured not only in billions lost to fraud—but in lives shattered by systemic neglect. To restore dignity, we must listen to survivors and let their voices shape justice systems. Compensation, trauma recovery, and meaningful reintegration must be guaranteed—whether victims choose to participate in formal trials. Above all, we must replace silence and impunity with accountability and care.[1]
Thank you.
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References
ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights. (2025). Urgent regional action to dismantle Southeast Asia’s cyberscam industry. https://aseanmp.org
ASEAN-ACT. (2022). Trafficking victim protection in ASEAN. https://www.aseanact.org
Dalberg. (2021). Placing survivor needs at the heart of justice systems in Southeast Asia. https://dalberg.com/our-ideas/placing-survivor-needs-at-the-heart-of-justice-systems-in-southeast-asias-fight-against-human-trafficking/
East Asia Forum. (2024). Tackling technology abuse and human trafficking in ASEAN. https://eastasiaforum.org/2024/02/20/tackling-technology-abuse-and-human-trafficking-in-asean/ See also https://eastasiaforum.org/2024/09/25/strengthening-aseans-responses-to-transnational-crime/
Freedom Collaborative. (2024). Trafficking for Forced Criminality. https://data.freedomcollaborative.org/trafficking-for-forced-criminality/
International Organization for Migration. (2024). Regional Situation Report on Trafficking in Persons into Forced Criminality in Southeast Asia. https://roasiapacific.iom.int See also https://roasiapacific.iom.int/news/strengthening-youth-engagement-fight-against-human-trafficking
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. (2023). Online scam operations and trafficking into forced criminality in Southeast Asia: Recommendations for a human rights response. https://bangkok.ohchr.org/news/2022/online-scam-operations-and-trafficking-forced-criminality-southeast-asia
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (2023). Casinos, cyber fraud and trafficking in persons for forced criminality in Southeast Asia. https://www.unodc.org/roseap/uploads/documents/Publications/2023/TiP_for_FC_Summary_Policy_Brief.pdf
United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime. (2025). Southeast Asia strengthens regional cooperation to combat trafficking for forced criminality. https://www.unodc.org/roseap/en/2025/07/southeast-asia-combat-trafficking/story.html
[1] Strengthen Regional Cooperation — ASEAN member states must deepen cross-border coordination through platforms like the Emergency Response Network (ERN), enabling real-time intelligence sharing, joint investigations, and victim repatriation efforts.
Establish Victim-Centred Legal Frameworks — Laws must uphold the non-punishment principle and ensure victims are not criminalised for crimes committed under coercion. This includes harmonising national laws with the ASEAN Convention Against Trafficking in Persons (ACTIP) and the UN Trafficking Protocol.
Empower Civil Society and Survivor Leadership — NGOs and survivor-led initiatives should be integrated into national referral mechanisms, offering trauma-informed care, legal aid, and reintegration support. Survivors must be recognised as agents of change, not passive recipients of aid.
Disrupt Financial Flows and Corruption — Targeting the illicit revenue streams of scam compounds—through anti-money laundering measures and financial intelligence—is critical. Governments must also confront institutional complicity and corruption that enable trafficking.
Engage the Private Sector in Prevention — Tech companies and social media platforms must be held accountable for enabling recruitment scams. Partnerships should promote digital literacy, regulate online recruitment, and flag trafficking-related content.
Michael O'Connell AM APM 
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