Stories of a most alarming nature are emerging after another young man from Jiangsu was rescued from forced labour in northern Myanmar, following a deception that had seen him and his friends taken by bandits across three countries against their will.
For the purposes of this report, the young man, who cannot be named for his own protection, shall be referred to as Xiao Meng.
On 6 September, on the departure floor of Kunming Airport, a mother was excitedly reunited with her son after his near month long ordeal. On the other end of her video call were the faces of relatives filled with joyful smiles, while greetings and blessings were screamed one after another.
It all began on 14 August, when Rongbing Police Station in Zhenjiang’s Dantu District received a call from Xiao Meng’s cousin, saying that he had travelled to Yunnan Province with his friends on 10 August. He had arrived the following day, but after the hotel in Xishuangbanna reported that he was safe for the last time, all contact was lost. Suspecting that he was in danger, Xiao Meng’s family had turned to the police.
As the Yangtze Evening News reported on Wednesday, 13th September, the Rongbing Police Station then urged his family to continue trying to contact Xiao Meng, while they immediately started an investigation.
The police were able to determine that Xiao Meng had most likely ended up in northern Myanmar. A special work team was set up, with its director, Hong Tao, leading them to Yunnan to coordinate multi-department resources and make every effort to affect a rescue.
Through their joint work, Xiao Meng arrived safely at Kunming International Airport on 6 September and the rescue was declared a success.
It was only then that the distressing facts of the ordeal through which Xiao Meng had been put became clear.
After he returned home safely, Xiao Meng recounted that he and his friends were deceived and taken to a park in northern Myanmar. While as yet unconfirmed, this publication believes this place to be similar to the “KK Park” in Myawaddy Town of southeastern Myanmar that is only separated from Thailand by the Moei River. The KK Park is surrounded by high walls, with outposts at regular intervals, manned by armed personnel.
Once in the park, Xiao Meng and his travelling companions were beaten and forced to engage in unspecified illegal activities. Witnessing a fellow traveller’s fingers being cut off for disobedience, he realised that he was then in extremely serious danger.
On the way home from the airport and apparently still in shock, Xiao Meng had been able to do nothing but remain silent and just look out the window.
The story of Xiao Meng is just the latest such report of the forced labour of Chinese in northern Myanmar of late. Just last month, The Nanjinger told of a fellow Jiangsunese from Suqian who had been held captive in that country while his bank cards were used to defraud others out of ¥730,000.
