Military junta, DKBA and BGF’s staged crackdowns aim to expand online scam operations not only at the border but also inland, says KNU

Photo: An online scam site in the Phalu region. The Karen National Union (KNU) announced on July 31 that the staged crackdowns on online scam operations by the military junta and its associates are intentionally aimed at expanding online scam operations and causing instability not only in the Thai-Myanmar border areas but also in regions far from the border. (YT/Mizzima) YT (July 31) Mizzima. The staged crackdowns on online scam operations by the military junta and its associates are intentionally aimed at expanding online scam operations and causing instability not only in the Thai-Myanmar border areas but also in regions far from the border, the Karen National Union (KNU) announced today (July 31). It is understood that the military junta and its associates, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) and the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF), are conducting staged raids on online scam operations, arresting those who are not the masterminds but are instructed by them, and demolishing unoccupied buildings. The KNU stated that these actions are not aimed at eradicating online scam operations but are intentionally carried out to expand online scam operations and cause instability in inland areas far from the border. The KNU stated that these actions have led to the spread and establishment of online scam operations day and night not only in Karen State but also in other inland regions, and are posing a significant threat to the safety of local residents' lives. Furthermore, the KNU has received complaints from local residents and civil society organizations regarding the forced purchase of land belonging to local residents near KNU-administered areas, causing distress and anxiety to the residents. Therefore, the KNU announced that it will not tolerate online scam operations and other related criminal activities in its territories and will take severe action under the KNU penal code. It has also issued a warning for local residents to report any land-related issues. Furthermore, the KNU denied the military junta's accusation that the KNU and PDFs received money and provided protection for the online scam operation raided by the military junta on July 25, stating that this operation was merely one of the online scam operations that relocated from KK Park and Shwe Kokko due to the military junta's staged crackdowns. The KNU stated that although the military junta claimed the online scam operation they raided was in Kyauk Htet, this was merely an attempt to make it appear as if they had raided the "Kyauk Htet Online Scam Center" which the international community is paying attention to and wants to take action against. In reality, the online scam center raided by the military junta is located about 36 miles from Kyauk Htet, west of Phalu Lay, in an area supervised by the Chief of Staff of the DKBA army. Therefore, the KNU has called on neighboring countries and the international community to carefully scrutinize the staged crackdown operations of the military junta and to cooperate with all ground-level organizations that are genuinely fighting to eradicate transnational criminal activities and online scam operations, which are a global concern. Editor: Aung Kyaw Phyo The post Military junta, DKBA and BGF’s staged crackdowns aim to expand online scam operations not only at the border but also inland, says KNU appeared first on BUR.MIZZIMA.COM.