Ma Khin Sandar, who was trafficked and sold as a bride in China, has reported that authorities in Naypyidaw, including the Ministry of Home Affairs and police force, have not only refused to file her case but also threatened her after she attempted to report the traffickers following her escape. In 2024, Ma Khin Sandar was taken to Shandong, China, by a broker under the pretense of employment, only to be sold as a bride upon arrival. She was sold to a Chinese man for 120,000 yuan, with the broker initially promising her 50,000 yuan, which she never received.
Ma Khin Sandar had initially entered China’s Ruili city with a one-week pass. Due to increased arrests in Ruili, she was directed by a driver named Soe Lin Htay to contact Ma Ei Za in Shandong in October 2024. It was only upon reaching Shandong that she learned she would be forced to marry a Chinese man, with Ma Ei Za promising her 50,000 yuan before selling her. Although she was eventually rescued with the help of a deputy officer from the Myanmar embassy in China, she was subsequently detained for two weeks in the Qutran police station and spent 45 days in Feixian detention center.
After returning to Myanmar, Ma Khin Sandar attempted to file a complaint with Police Captain Soe Yu Ra of the Anti-Trafficking Police Force, but her case was rejected. The police captain insisted that she would need to file the case in China, claiming insufficient evidence to proceed with the case in Myanmar. Furthermore, Ma Khin Sandar was subjected to verbal abuse and threats, even as she revealed that other women were also victims of similar trafficking operations. Currently, Ma Khin Sandar expresses concerns for her safety and remains without justice due to the authorities’ negligence in handling her case.
