How Ugandan Workers Were Tricked into Modern-Day Slavery in Myanmar

Summary:

• , Ugandan workers recount their journey from hope to despair, lured by promises of employment only to find themselves trapped in a cycle of exploitation and torture.

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KAMPALA, (Examiner) – In a shocking tale of deception and exploitation, Ugandan workers seeking employment in Thailand found themselves ensnared in a web of deceit, ultimately forced into modern-day slavery.

After nearly one year in captivity in Myanmar, twenty-three Ugandans are finally back home. They arrived in the country on Thursday after the government held a series of diplomatic engagements with the Government of Myanmar, leading to an agreement to release the captured Ugandans. Alex Lubega is one of them share with Examiner how he ended up in captivity in Myanmar and what he experienced there.

Lubega’s journey began with promises of a job in online marketing in Bangkok, Thailand, extended to him and his brother by shadowy figures who offered hope but delivered only despair. With assurances of employment and a better life, they embarked on a journey that would lead them down a path of betrayal and suffering.

Arriving in Bangkok, their expectations quickly soured as they were shuttled from one vehicle to another, with promises of meeting their prospective employer evaporating into thin air. Instead of a job interview, they found themselves directed towards Myanmar, where the true extent of their predicament became clear.

Forced onto a small canoe, they navigated the treacherous waters of the border river, the boundary between Thailand and Myanmar, into a world of uncertainty and fear. The camp they arrived at, masquerading as a workplace, revealed itself to be a prison of sorts, with torture and abuse as its currency.

“We didn’t meet the boss; we were directed to Myanmar,” Lubega recounts. “They drove us to the riverbank, where we were told to board a boat. After crossing the river, we were taken to a camp that resembled a military base. This was not the job we signed up for.”

The camp, built under the guise of a casino, harbored a sinister reality beneath its facade. Lubega describes scenes of torture and coercion, with victims subjected to electric shocks, beatings, and other forms of abuse in a bid to break their spirits and force compliance.

“Torture is the order of the day,” Lubega grimly states. “They beat us with big strokes, applied electric shocks – anything to keep us in line.”

Lubega and his fellow victims turned to social media, sounding the alarm and drawing attention to their plight. Through the efforts of concerned individuals and government intervention, Lubega and others were rescued from their ordeal, though the scars of their experience remain.

“I think the government got this information before we even left the camp because we had alarmed all over social media,” Lubega reflects. “Our voices were heard, and help came.” he added

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