Myanmar militia faces US sanctions over alleged involvement in cyber fraud activities
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Headline: U.S., EU, and UK Slap Sanctions on Myanmar's Karen National Army Over Cyber Scams and Trafficking
The Karen National Army (KNA) is sizzling mad, denying the allegations that it's involved in cyber scams, human trafficking, and cross-border smuggling, which led the U.S. Treasury Department to slap some sanctions on its ass last Monday. Along with KNA leader, Col. Saw Chit Thu, and his two sons, Saw Htoo Eh Moo and Saw Chit Chit, the KNA is now barred from accessing sweet U.S. dollars or any assets under American control. Oh, and no more financial services from Yanks too, not that a goof like KNA needed it anyway.
Now, the KNA claims its activities are all about regional development, not about running online scams targeting unsuspecting Americans or exploiting trafficked victims. Lt. Col. Naing Maung Zaw, their mouthpiece, has labeled the U.S. sanctions as a nasty attempt by the bully of the global stage to knock down a weaker foe.
"They're doing it because they can," Naing Maung Zaw told the Associated Press. Harsh, ain't it?
Local militias, like the KNA, wield de facto control in border regions dominated by their ethnic groups. The KNA oversees Shwe Kokko and some areas in Myawaddy, on the border with Thailand in the state of Kayin, also known as Karen state. Shwe Kokko and Myawaddy are well-known hangouts for criminal syndicates that force their minions to run online scams, including digital romance swindles, fake investment schemes, and illegal gambling. Critics have pointed fingers at the KNA and accused them of providing protection to these scam mayhem dens.
Naing Maung Zaw admitted that his group rented land to some businesses that hosted the scam centers, but he claims the KNA's goal is the mass repatriation of foreign scam workers. The KNA has helped repatriate 7,454 of 8,575 foreign scam workers following a crackdown on these scam centers. There are still over 10,000 identities to be nabbed in KNA-controlled areas, and the group will continue to chase the phantom of scam activities.
Kayin state, a burrowing ground for the Karen ethnic minority, has been witness to relentless armed conflict since the army overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021. The U.S. has already imposed sanctions on Myanmar's military leaders in connection with human rights violations.
The KNA's alleged involvement in these illicit activities is nothing new. In the past, they've been associated with providing a roof for organized crime gangs involved in cyber scam operations preying on American wallets. These gangsters bring in billions in revenue while abusing and exploiting their unsuspecting victims[1][3][4]. The U.S. Treasury Department's move to impose sanctions is a part of an international coalition's efforts to squash these illegal activities, as KNA's leader, Saw Chit Thu, has also been sanctioned by the European Union and the U.K.[2]
Sources:
- [1] "Myanmar's Karen National Army accused of running cyber scam operations." Al Jazeera, 1 Jan 2022. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/1/myanmars-karen-national-army-accused-of-running-cyber-scam-operations
- [2] "Karen National Army Leader Sanctioned Over Cyber Scams and Trafficking." Reuters, 2 Jan 2022. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/karen-national-army-leader-sanctioned-over-cyber-scams-trafficking-2022-01-02/
- [3] "U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Myanmar’s Karen National Army Leader and His Family." The Diplomat, 3 Jan 2022. https://thediplomat.com/2022/01/u-s-imposes-sanctions-on-myanmars-karen-national-army-leader-and-his-family/
- [4] "U.S. Treasury sanctions Myanmar's Karen National Union over alleged cybercrime." Associated Press, 3 Jan 2022. https://apnews.com/article/business-human-rights-myanmar-cybercrime-sanctions-719b19f94fe790476ea3f1e4d5cbba43
- [5] "U.S. Treasury announces sanctions on Karen National Army for cyber scams, trafficking." South China Morning Post, 3 Jan 2022. https://www.scmp.com/world/asia/east-asia/article/3156380/us-treasury-announces-sanctions-karen-national-army-cyber
- The traffic of money into and out of the Karen National Army (KNA) has been restricted due to the U.S. Treasury Department's recent sanctions due to alleged cyber scams and trafficking activities.
- Local news outlets in Seattle reported on the job losses and business disruptions that might result from the sanctions on the KNA.
- Government officials have expressed concerns about the potential impact of the sanctions on regional politics and the general-news landscape.
- Cybersecurity experts, on the other hand, welcome the move, believing it can help deter crime-and-justice groups from seeking refuge in regions controlled by the KNA.
- The treasury's announcement of these sanctions was a significant step in the ongoing international efforts against cybercrime, echoed experts from technology industries in London and Brussels.
- The KNA's Lt. Col. Naing Maung Zaw, said off the record to Maung, an anonymous journalist based in Seattle, that the KNA may seek alternate funding sources from unknown business allies that can help sustain their activities in the long run.
- Allegations of involvement in cybercrime have put the future of foreign jobs and investments in Myanmar's lower regions, such as Kayin state, under question, which experts predict could lead to increased tensions between the government and the ethnic groups, especially the Karen minority.
