Myanmar junta Foreign Minister Than Swe on Wednesday briefed Yangon‑based diplomats on the demolition of scam compounds in Myawaddy, claiming it as proof of the regime’s crackdown on transnational crime amid widespread skepticism.
Than Swe told diplomats that 99.5 percent of workers arrested in the border compounds had entered illegally from neighboring countries, and claimed that the scam syndicates depended on cross-border internet, electricity, and funds.
Implicitly blaming Thailand, he said eradication of the scam industry would require full cooperation from neighboring countries and urged diplomats to relay what he called Myanmar’s “true situation” to their governments.
Junta propaganda outlets splashed images of demolished KK Park buildings alongside coverage of the meeting, reinforcing the regime’s narrative.
The regime began demolishing the compounds in late October, but only after its allied Karen Border Guard Force had helped shift the scam operations elsewhere, according to locals. Meanwhile, satellite images captured between Oct. 30 and Sunday showed most buildings in the scam hub were still standing.
Analysts described the demolition work as a PR stunt designed to create the illusion of a crackdown.
Than Swe claimed Wednesday that 148 out of KK Park’s 625 buildings had been demolished, with more to follow. However, he failed to address widespread criticism that the demolitions are being staged for show, that Chinese scam bosses escaped untouched, and that the junta profits from the multibillion-dollar scam industry through its allied BGF.
Also on Wednesday, Thailand extradited She Zhijiang, the mastermind behind Shwe Kokko, to China. The move fueled speculation that both Thailand and Myanmar are competing to demonstrate their compliance with Beijing’s demands for a crackdown.
The same day, the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control blacklisted four senior commanders of the pro-junta Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) over their alleged roles in scam operations. One of them, General Saw San Aung, dismissed the move, telling The Irrawaddy that the U.S. “says whatever it wants, true or not.”
In May, the US also sanctioned BGF leader Saw Chit Thu and his two sons for their alleged involvement in transnational crimes.
Despite the junta’s claimed crackdown, no action has been taken against Saw Chit Thu himself. Scam operations in Myawaddy accelerated after the 2021 coup and expanded again after a Beijing- led crackdown drove scam syndicates out of northern Shan State’s Kokang, near the Chinese border, in 2024.
