Myanmar junta forms anti-scam body amid complicity claims

The reporters

Myanmar’s military regime has unveiled a new high-level committee to tackle the country’s sprawling online scam industry, even as mounting evidence suggests its own allies remain deeply involved in the criminal networks it claims to be fighting.

The 16‑member Central Supervisory Committee on Combating Telecom Fraud and Online Gambling is chaired by Home Affairs Minister Lieutenant General Tun Tun Naung, with senior figures from the foreign ministry, labour ministry, military intelligence, police and the central bank also on board. The junta says the body will draft policy, coordinate with foreign governments and ultimately “eradicate” the scam industry.

The announcement comes just weeks after the United States launched a Scam Center Strike Force, involving five federal agencies including the FBI, to dismantle Chinese‑led fraud networks operating across Myanmar and the wider region. Washington has already sanctioned leaders of two junta‑aligned militias — the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army and the Karen Border Guard Force — accusing them of running scam compounds that have defrauded Americans of billions.

The junta has pushed back hard. Spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun has twice accused the US of meddling in Myanmar’s internal affairs under the guise of anti‑fraud operations, claiming Washington is pursuing a “hidden agenda”. Meanwhile, the US House Foreign Affairs Committee has alleged that Myanmar’s military profits directly from scam operations and shields those running them.

Despite the regime’s insistence that it is dismantling major hubs, doubts persist. During a meeting in Naypyitaw on Sunday with Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow, junta leader Min Aung Hlaing highlighted supposed efforts to shut down KK Park and Shwe Kokko — two notorious compounds in Myawaddy. Yet analysts note that both sites have long been controlled by militias operating under junta authority.

Recent raids in Myawaddy have only deepened suspicion. Buildings and equipment were destroyed, but observers say the operations looked more like attempts to wipe away evidence than genuine crackdowns. Tens of thousands of workers fled before the raids, while only a few thousand were detained. Locals report that many scam operations have simply relocated deeper into Myawaddy town.

The junta has also tried to shift blame, accusing the Karen National Union of involvement and claiming that many scam operators enter Myanmar illegally from Thailand. But critics argue the regime is more focused on protecting its allies — and its own revenue streams — than on dismantling a lucrative industry that has flourished under its watch.

For now, the new committee offers little reassurance. With powerful militias still profiting from online fraud and international pressure intensifying, Myanmar’s promise to clean up the sector risks looking more like political theatre than meaningful reform.

-2025-12-12