Mai Rupa, Feb 13, Kutkai
Six men from Kutkai Township in northern Shan State, have gone missing after traveling to China for work through a labour broker, and they still remain out of contact until today, according to family members and close associates.
In June 2025, six men from Saik Khaung Village in Kutkai were reportedly recruited by a man named Ai Aung, who promised them jobs in China. Instead, upon arrival they were forced into manual labor at a sugarcane plantation in Ruili.
“Ai Aung and a friend came to the village, promising jobs in China,” a source said.
“Once they reached China, all their residence permits and documents were confiscated. They were forced to work at a sugarcane farm in Ruili. For six months of labour, they were paid only 500 Chinese Yuan (about $70 USD). When new workers arrived, they were moved to another location, and we haven’t been able to contact them since.”
Family members said they were able to maintain contact only until the end of December 2025. They further alleged that the employer withheld wages and subjected the men to physical beatings while on the job.
A man close to the families also told Shwe Phee Myay that since then, all contact with those six men have been severed and their current whereabouts remain unknown.
The missing men have been identified as Ai Kham, Ai Hla, Ai Nyi, Ai Aye, Ai Yin, and Maung Aye. The broker who recruited them, Ai Aung, is known to reside in a village near Saik Khaung, though the exact name of his village has not yet been confirmed.
The families are now urgently appealing to the relevant authorities and organizations to help locate and rescue those men.
Because of the scarcity of jobs in Myanmar, many young people fall victim to human trafficking and fraudulent labor brokers who lure them with promises of high paying work in China.
In northern Shan State, the “Red Book” (official Myanmar–China border pass) is strictly issued only to those with national identity cards registered in Muse District.
Residents from other regions are eligible only for a Temporary Border Pass, commonly known as a “one week card.” As a result, many outsiders are defrauded by brokers when attempting to pay for an illegal or fast tracked Red Book.
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