Two young girls displaced by war have been missing for nearly a week in the area around Waw Lay town in southern Myawaddy Township, Karen State, according to local residents familiar with the case.
The two young girls reportedly traveled from the Thai border area to attend a donation ceremony at a monastery in Waw Lay on July 14. They lost contact with their families afterward and have not been found since.
A Myawaddy resident said the two missing girls are 13-year-old cousins from Kawkareik Township. Their families had been living as displaced persons on the Thai border side for several years due to ongoing insecurity in the region.
“They are cousins. They left home after telling their family they were going to the donation ceremony. While they were at the monastery, they managed to make one phone call, but they could not be reached afterward. Their families reported the case to Thai police and have also asked people in the Waw Lay area to inform them if they have any information,” the resident said.
The families and Thai authorities are continuing their search efforts, but there have been no updates on the girls’ whereabouts.
Family members are especially concerned that the two girls may have been deceived and trafficked into illegal online scam operations, which are known to operate in the Waw Lay area.
“They are worried that someone may have tricked the girls and sold them to scam compounds. They are also afraid that they may be harmed by criminals,” the resident said.
Areas in southern Myawaddy, including Phalu, Min Let Pan, Ingyin Myaing, Waw Lay, Waw Lay Pho, and Kyauk Khet, continue to host scam operations and casinos operated under the control of various armed groups.
These illegal networks have reportedly lured and trafficked Myanmar citizens and foreigners through various methods, both online and offline, before forcing them to work and subjecting them to abuse and torture.
The breakdown of rule of law caused by ongoing conflict, along with instability among local authorities and administrative systems, has contributed to frequent cases of violence against women and human trafficking.
Women’s rights activists and civil society organizations have repeatedly warned that victims often have no effective official channels to report such cases or seek protection due to the lack of a functioning safety net.
