Three Nepali women escape from coercive Chinese employers in Laos, return home but still feel unsafe

Kathmandu [Nepal], January 4 (ANI): Three Nepali women, Lalita, Juna and Rojita, who had left Nepal to work in Laos, managed to escape from their tough Chinese employers there and returned to their own country, but still feel unsafe, according to The Kathmandu Post.

The three Nepali women were drawn to Laos after being promised free meals and transport. However, upon reaching Laos, the women were asked to work with fake identities on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and WhatsApp.

They were asked to dupe rich-English-speaking people from the US, Canada, Australia and the UK. The women worked from 11 pm to 10:30 am, with just an hour's break at 4:30 am.

"We felt trapped. You see, as practising Buddhists, we had never deceived anyone in our lives," Lalita said as quoted by The Kathmandu Post.

The women were emotionally tortured after they refused to abide by their employer's terms. They eventually managed to escape the centre with the help of their friends and family members.

The three on getting back to Nepal on December 21, lodged a First Investigation Report at the Anti-Human Trafficking Bureau of Nepal Police.

The police, as a result, nabbed two Chinese agents on December 22. The two agents were Chen Yang, 30, a permanent resident of Sichuan, China and Ruan Chaohong, 33, of Fujian.

They two are now in judicial custody in the Central Jail, Sundhara, according to The Kathmandu Post.

The three Nepali women have, however, been getting life threats since the arrest of the two Chinese men in Nepal.

"Although we survived the place, the Chinese are searching for us through their agents, perhaps to exact revenge as they feel we have spoiled their business by reporting to police," Lalita said, as quoted by The Kathmandu Post.

Lalita said that she is still in contact with Chinese workers at Laos call centre and that they continue to face exploitation.

"Last week, I was told by one of my Chinese friends there that four more Nepalis had been recruited. I fear what might happen to them," Lalita said.

A spokesperson for Anti-Human Trafficking Bureau, Malla, said the Laos call centre is holding over two dozen Nepalis as hostage. "We are still investigating, and trying our best to rescue them," he said.

Lalita's husband Rajan is worried that the Chinese agents who deceived Lalita can be released at any time. We fear those Chinese may have connections with other Chinese and Nepali political leaders, and they could make life difficult for us," he said. (ANI)