Myanmar woman who was lured to Thailand for work, then kidnapped and raped for 7 days, escapes and seeks help from Thai army; perpetrator Myanmar national arrested by Thai police

Yangon, July 13 A 26-year-old Mon ethnic woman, who was lured to Thailand with the promise of a job and subsequently kidnapped and raped for seven days in Nakhon Pathom Province, escaped and sought help from the Thai army, leading to the arrest of the perpetrator, a Myanmar national, by the police, according to reports from Thai news agencies. The incident began when the victim, Ma Aye Thu Zar, met a Myanmar national on social media. She was deceived into coming to Nakhon Pathom Province from the Phra Samut border crossing in Kanchanaburi Province with the promise of a good job. Upon her arrival, the Myanmar national (who works as a welder in a factory) forcibly raped her, confined her to a room, pressured her to live with him as his wife, and held her captive for seven days without allowing her to leave. Yesterday, July 12, while the Myanmar national was drinking and asleep on his day off, Ma Aye Thu Zar took his mobile phone and motorcycle and fled without knowing the way. Around 8:30 PM that day, she entered a Thai army checkpoint in Nakhon Pathom Province and, unable to speak Thai, gestured for help, asking to be handcuffed. Thai authorities, after questioning her in detail through an interpreter and understanding the truth of the incident, transferred the victimized woman to the Mueang Nakhon Pathom Police Station. Subsequently, the perpetrator, the Myanmar national, reported to the Kamphaeng Saen Police Station that his motorcycle had been stolen, as it was missing. Police investigations revealed that the motorcycle Ma Aye Thu Zar rode was the same one reported stolen, leading to the immediate arrest and detention of the perpetrator, the Myanmar national. Currently, the police have seized the motorcycle as evidence and are providing safe protection to Ma Aye Thu Zar under a victim protection program. Legal procedures are being followed to effectively file charges and prosecute the perpetrator, a Myanmar national, for illegal detention, torture, and sexual offenses.