The rights group Justice for Myanmar (JFM) says Thailand’s cyber scam crackdown needs to target the root causes that have allowed the criminal operations to flourish in Myanmar.
In a statement on Tuesday, JFM called on Thailand and other governments to cut off funds, arms and aviation fuel to Myanmar’s military and its militias, and hold them criminally accountable for their transnational crimes.
Under pressure from Beijing to crack down on Chinese-run cyber scam and gambling centers, Thailand cut electricity, internet and fuel to five border areas in early February.
The territory in Myawaddy Township near the Thai border is partly controlled by the junta-allied Karen State Border Guard Force (BGF) and Democratic Karen Benevolent Army.
JFM said Myanmar’s military was at the center of a web of criminal businesses and it nurtured Karen BGF under its command.
The rights group exposed the BGF’s involvement in Chinese-run online scams, illegal casinos and online gambling in Myawaddy in May last year.
JFM said on Tuesday that without targeting the root causes of the scam operations, actions like cutting electricity will only enable the industry to relocate.
It added that Thailand cut power to two Myawaddy scam zones in 2023 but the operations expanded with the help of Thai-state-owned enterprises and private businesses, Myanmar’s military, its militias and their accomplices.
The cyber scams have proliferated in Myawaddy since the February 2021 coup, generating considerable income for the junta.
“The military and its militias have long enjoyed impunity for their transnational crimes and this needs to end,” said JFM.
Despite describing a cyber scam crackdown as a national duty, the group said junta boss Min Aung Hlaing has well-documented ties to cyber scam kingpins.
JFM said Thailand should widen its criminal investigation from BGF leaders and their families to Myanmar’s military and Thai officials and businesses who enabled cybercrime operations to grow.
Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation again asked the Attorney General’s Office on March 3 for arrest warrants for three BGF leaders: Colonel Saw Chit Thu, Lieutenant Colonel Mote Thone and Major Tin Win.
They are accused of involvement in the trafficking of Indian nationals to the Myawaddy call-center scam centers.
JFM welcomed the request for arrest warrants and urged the Thai government to grant its approval.
The Thai authorities recently sacked Police Major General Ekkarat Intasuep and Police Maj-Gen Samrit Aemkamol, the Tak Province chief, over alleged connections to online gambling and scam centers in Myawaddy and for failing to stop trafficking.
The junta and BGF transferred trafficked victims from seven countries to the Thai authorities in the last month but over 8,700 released foreign nationals remain held in Myawaddy Township. No scam business owners have been detained.
Following Thailand’s cyber scam crackdown, the regime raided online gambling and scam centers in territory it controls in northern and eastern Shan State, detaining over 100 people, including foreigners.
JFM’s spokesman Yadanar Maung said Myanmar’s military was a key player and beneficiary from the cyber scams and the profits finance its ongoing crimes.
“Without addressing the root causes, the Myanmar military, its militias and their accomplices that have allowed the industry to flourish, any crackdown will only lead to the relocation of their operations, not their elimination,” Yadanar Maung said.
