Scam warlords front junta’s ‘peace panel’ in Karen State

Ethnic militias in Myanmar’s Karen State, long accused of running sprawling online scam operations, have unveiled a new “peace committee” backed by the military regime — a move critics say is little more than a façade.

The Karen National Peace Building Committee (KNPBC) was launched on 8 April, bringing together groups closely aligned with the junta, including the Karen National Army (KNA), the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA), the Karen National Liberation Army–Peace Council (KNLA‑PC) and the Karen People’s Party.

The committee is chaired by Saw Chit Thu, the warlord who controls Shwe Kokko, a notorious scam hub on the Thai border. Former Karen National Union (KNU) chairman Saw Mutu Say Poe, expelled last year for attending a junta event, has been named as patron.

A façade of peace

The timing is no accident. Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, who installed himself as president in April, has set a July deadline for ethnic armed organisations to join peace talks. Analysts say the KNPBC is designed to give the appearance of dialogue while excluding the KNU, Myanmar’s oldest and most influential Karen force, which continues to fight alongside resistance groups.

Karen Information Center editor Nan Paw Gay dismissed the initiative: “Public trust is undermined by the fact that many of the groups in the committee are tied to scam operations. Real peace talks require credible individuals who stand with the people. Without that, this effort is doomed to fail.”

Criminal networks at the core

The KNA and DKBA have been sanctioned by the United States for links to Chinese scam syndicates. Washington last year designated the KNA a transnational criminal organisation and imposed financial penalties on DKBA leaders. Both groups oversee lucrative fraud centres in Myawaddy and surrounding areas, where scam compounds have flourished since the 2021 coup.

Despite the committee’s stated aim of promoting peace and humanitarian aid, its leadership is deeply enmeshed in these operations. Critics argue that the junta is using the panel to shield criminal interests while projecting a veneer of reconciliation.

A divided Karen landscape

Karen State has become a flashpoint of competing interests. In 2024, the KNA intervened when KNU forces briefly seized Myawaddy, forcing them to withdraw. The town, Myanmar’s main border trade hub with Thailand, remains contested ground.

While the KNU rejects any talks with the regime, other Karen groups have chosen cooperation, hoping to secure influence and protect their business ventures. The KNPBC’s creation underscores this split — and the junta’s strategy of exploiting divisions to weaken resistance.

Outlook

For now, the committee’s promises of peace ring hollow. With scam warlords at the helm and the most credible Karen organisation excluded, the initiative appears less about reconciliation than about preserving profits and projecting legitimacy for a regime under pressure.

-2026-05-01