In the ongoing battle against online scams in Laukkai Town on the China-Myanmar border, Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing and Royal Thai Army Joint Operations Director Lt-General Jakkapong Janpengpen convened to discuss collaborative measures in tackling online gambling and scams. This strategic discussion, centered on the border town of Myawaddy in Karen State, unfolded in Naypyitaw on Wednesday.

The spotlight is on the KK Park new city project to the south of Myawaddy, a China-invested initiative that has evolved into a hub for human trafficking and online scams since the 2021 coup. Shwe Kokko, another China-backed new city project north of the town near Mae Sot, has garnered notoriety for housing online gambling operations, cyber scams, and human trafficking.

Padoh Saw Roger Khin, head of the Karen National Union’s defense department, participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for KK Park in February 2020. The Myanmar military-affiliated Karen State Border Guard Force, led by Colonel Saw Chit Thu, is involved in the Shwe Kokko project through a joint venture with Yatai International, owned by She Zhijiang—a Chinese national with Cambodian citizenship wanted in China.

Growing concerns point to the potential relocation of Chinese citizen-run online scam syndicates to the Thai-Myanmar border amid the Laukkai crackdown. In August, China, Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar jointly established a police operations center to combat cyber scams in the region. China's Ministry of Public Security claimed success in its "Summer Operation," bringing back over 2,300 scam suspects from northern Myanmar to China.

A rescue operation negotiated between Thai authorities and the junta recently liberated hundreds of Thai citizens who had fallen prey to enticing job offers, only to be coerced into working as online scammers in Laukkai.

Despite these efforts, a political and ethnic affairs analyst remains skeptical of Min Aung Hlaing's commitment to eradicating online scams, suggesting that his actions may be driven by the desire to appease China. The analyst voiced concerns about the junta's protective stance toward individuals wielding influence over the Kokang Border Guard Force and pro-junta militias.

Allegations from the United States Institute of Peace point to Chinese gangs behind international crimes associated with projects in Laukkai and Myawaddy. Responding to these claims, Britain, the United States, and Canada imposed sanctions against three individuals linked to Shwe Kokko, including Colonel Saw Chit Thu, citing their alleged involvement in human trafficking across Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos.