Chinese man trafficked to Myanmar finds unexpected lifeline in traditional Chinese medicine

A Chinese man who flew to Thailand to collect a business payment ended up being trafficked to a Myanmar scam compound, where he spent 79 days enduring beatings and forced labor before being rescued after his sister spent more than 300,000 yuan (about HK$351,000) seeking his release.

Liu Xiuhong, 38, from Mianzhu, Sichuan, flew to Bangkok in June expecting to settle a business payment in person. Instead, he was allegedly abducted shortly after arriving and taken to the Thai-Myanmar border.

Liu said armed men pointed a gun at his back, blindfolded him and taped his mouth shut before forcing him across the border into Myanmar.

He was then sold to a cyber fraud group and ordered to memorize a more than 300-page script to impersonate a military officer and target divorced women.

When he failed to memorize the script or refused to cooperate, Liu said he was repeatedly beaten with electric batons and fists.

But his knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine gave him an unexpected way to survive.

Liu had studied traditional Chinese medicine for several years before the ordeal. While being held at different compounds, he treated injured guards and fellow captives, dressing wounds and helping with their recovery.

He eventually offered to examine the compound boss, who had been suffering from a persistent cough.

After taking his pulse, Liu said he diagnosed the man with severe emphysema and suggested traditional Chinese medicine treatment.

The gesture earned him a brief reprieve from captivity, allowing him to leave a locked room and get some sunlight.

While Liu was being held in Myanmar, his sister flew alone to Bangkok and spent weeks going between Thai police stations, the Chinese embassy and border forces in an effort to locate him.

She also worked with the media to draw attention to the case, putting further pressure on those holding her brother.

Liu was finally released at the Mae Sot border checkpoint on Aug 26 and later reunited with his sister before returning to China.

He said his physical wounds could heal, but the psychological scars were harder to erase, with nightmares continuing after he returned home.

Liu urged people not to trust overseas job or business offers without verifying them, warning that what appears to be an opportunity could instead lead to trafficking and forced cyber fraud.

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓