Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka in Thailand, E.A.S. Wijayanthi Edirisinghe met with the UNODC Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, Masood Karimipour on 09 January 2025, to discuss the pressing issue of emerging transboundary human trafficking challenges in the region. The Regional Representative was accompanied by Regional Programme Coordinator for Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling, Rebecca Miller. The First Secretary and the Head of Chancery of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Bangkok, A.W. S Samanmali also joined the discussion.

During the meeting, the Ambassador outlined the specific human trafficking challenges faced by Sri Lankans, particularly those who have been misled by and subsequently trafficked to cybercrime centers in Myanmar. She expressed concern over the regional implications of such crimes and requested the UNODC to raise awareness of this issue on multilateral platforms, emphasizing its impact as a regional challenge.

The Regional Representative Karimipour acknowledged the gravity of the situation and emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts to address these issues. He informed that the UNODC is in the process of establishing a regional center in partnership with Thai authorities and multilateral agencies to combat transboundary human trafficking and related crimes more effectively.

The Ambassador also highlighted the proactive measures taken by the Government of Sri Lanka, including recent raids on scam centers operating within Sri Lanka and the arrest of those involved in such illegal activities. These efforts were commended by the Regional Representative who acknowledged their role in disrupting human trafficking networks.

Both parties agreed on the need for a coordinated regional approach to combat human trafficking. The Regional Representative emphasized the value of addressing these issues within regional frameworks such as ASEAN and BIMSTEC. He also pledged UNODC’s support to Sri Lanka by offering expertise and collaboration to conduct awareness sessions in partnership with the UNODC office in Sri Lanka.

The meeting reaffirmed the commitment of Sri Lanka and the UNODC to work together in tackling human trafficking and enhancing regional cooperation to address this critical issue.

Embassy and Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka
Bangkok

16 January 2025