Escaping from the telecom fraud parks in Myanmar and returning home is a long journey intertwined with fear, struggle, and rebirth. The days and nights trapped in the parks are filled with strict surveillance, cruel physical punishment, and endless mental oppression — every day, they are forced to face the screen and pose as “customer service representatives” or “lovers”, using lies to defraud others of their savings. The slightest resistance will result in being beaten, or even sold to a darker place.
Those who manage to escape with their lives often go through unimaginable thrills. Maybe they took advantage of the guards’ slackness to climb over the wall and run wildly at night, hiding from pursuit in the jungle; maybe they forged identities with the help of kind-hearted people, traveling through multiple cities before reaching the border; or maybe their families paid a huge ransom, yet they still lived in fear amid layers of exploitation. Every step is like walking on the edge of a knife, and what sustains them is nothing but the obsession with the word “home”.
The moment their feet truly set foot on the land of their motherland, many can’t help but burst into tears. The familiar local accent, the smoky atmosphere on the streets, and the warmth of family members hugging tightly all remind them: the nightmare is finally over. But while physical scars can heal, psychological trauma takes much longer to soothe — some wake up screaming in the middle of the night, as if they can still hear the roars from the parks; some tremble all over at the sight of a phone screen, never daring to trust strangers easily again.
Returning home is not the end, but a new beginning. They need the company of their families, professional psychological counseling, and more importantly, the understanding and acceptance of society. The courage to climb out of the abyss will eventually turn into the strength to rebuild their lives, allowing them to heal slowly under the sun and embrace the ordinary yet precious daily life again.
