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Thailand cuts power to Chinese-developed casinos on border with Myanmar linked to cybercrime, drugs and human trafficking

A Thai state-owned enterprise that exports electricity to its neighbors Myanmar has cut power to 2 border towns which might be home to notorious casino complexes where major organized crime operations are alleged to happen, Thai officials said.
The towns of Shwe Kokko and Lay Kay Kaw in Myanmar are home to gambling and entertainment complexes developed by Chinese investors which might be accused of being centers where people from other countries are tricked into working after which placed into virtual slavery and forced to work in a call center carrying out web fraud. There are also allegations that the complexes are centers for drug and human trafficking.
Power supply from ThailandAuthorities in Myawaddy province in Kayin state were cut off at midnight Monday, said Montsak Kaew-orn, police chief in Thailand’s neighboring Mae Sot district.

He said business activity within the affected towns gave the impression to be continuing uninterrupted as complex owners had prepared for the situation and were likely in a position to operate for the subsequent few weeks using their very own generators.

Thailand’s Interior Minister Anupong Paochinda, talking to reporters in Bangkok on Tuesday, said power was cut in each cities because a supply contract had expired and the Myanmar government had refused to increase it. Thailand is able to resume energy supplies if Myanmar decides to increase the deal, he said.

Myanmar’s military government has not publicly clarified its position on the matter. However, “Burma’s Global New Light” reported that China’s ambassador to Myanmar, Chen Hai, met with Interior Minister Lieutenant General Soe Htut and senior police officials on May 31 for talks on regional issues, including online fraud and gambling on the route Burma-China. and borders of Burma and Thailand and “strengthening cooperation within the fight against international crime.”

China urges Myanmar to eliminate telecommunications scams luring victims abroad

Casino complexes are operated in some autonomous development zones controlled by Chinese investors in cooperation with the Border Guard, a militia belonging to the Karen ethnic minority living in the world.

Lawlessness, especially drug trafficking, thrives in Myanmar’s border region since the central government is unable to totally exercise authority there.

Many groups, reminiscent of the Karen, have armed groups searching for political autonomy, but some factions ally with criminal gangs slightly than fight the federal government. The government tolerates this as a option to keep the militia on its side.

Members of an ethnic Karen militia participate in exercises in Myanmar’s eastern Kayin state in 2021. Some factions are allying with criminal gangs slightly than fighting the federal government. Photo: AFP

Public broadcaster Thai PBS reported that power was turned off in Shwe Kokko for about 30 seconds before being restored to foremost buildings, while the outer parts of the town remained dark. The report found that KK Park, a casino complex linked to forced labor of Chinese and Malaysian fugitives and other nationalities linked to “cybercrime,” showed no signs of an influence outage.

Police chief Montsak said the Karen Border Force was still negotiating with the Myanmar government to increase its energy supply contract.

“If the negotiations are not fruitful, we may start to see some results within one or two weeks,” he said.

Last week’s reports showed that the Myanmar government had asked Thai authorities to chop power supplies to casino sites, prompting an inter-agency meeting on the Thai side to debate possible impacts, reminiscent of disruptions to cross-border activities or a rise in illegal entries.

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