Across East and Southeast Asia, the UN estimates that countries collectively suffered estimated loss of US $37 billion in 2023 from the scam cartels. The problem is spreading to tourism after a Chinese actor was kidnapped in Thailand and smuggled to Myanmar, resulting in a vast drop in daily Chinese visitor numbers. ASEAN’s responses have included both bilateral efforts and regional initiatives: Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand have mounted some rescue operations for trafficked nationals. A plan of action was also beefed up by the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) and the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC). But the next challenge is transforming these initiatives into a more sustained, coordinated regional strategy that addresses the scale and evolving nature of the threat.
Can Malaysia nudge ASEAN beyond non- interference to tackle the scam crisis in Myanmar? (Liu Weiyi, Asha Hemrajani – The Interpreter)
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