The United Nations warned that thousands of people are being coerced in Southeast Asia by organized criminal gangs into carrying out online scams, often under the threat of torture.
In a report issued on Tuesday by UN, it said that many victims have been trafficked into working in online criminality and face serious violations such as torture or sexual violence.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk said: "People who are coerced into working in these scamming operations endure inhumane treatment while being forced to carry out crimes."
"They are victims. They are not criminals," ne pointed out.
The latest UN report also indicated that the scale of the scourge in Southeast Asia is difficult to gauge because of the practice's clandestine nature and gaps in the response by authorities.
However, it showed that at least 120,000 people across Myanmar may be held in situations where they are forced to carry out online scams.
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