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Myanmar’s military government has announced a new “zero tolerance” policy against industrial-scale cyber scam centers that have taken root in the country. As a sign of commitment, they raided and bombed KK Park – a notorious complex that has become a symbol of impunity in the fight against one of the world’s most lucrative criminal industries.
The new visual analysis raises questions about whether Keck Park will ultimately be abandoned, renovated or rebuilt. Facing growing international pressure ahead of national elections later this month, Myanmar’s leaders are trumpeting their efforts to expose scandals. But interviews with current and former scammers indicate that the crackdown may not be as deep or long-lasting as the government wants.
Here are excerpts from the Associated Press reporting:
Was KK Park really demolished?
Government officials said that as of 13 December, 413 buildings in KK Park had been “demolished” and the remaining 222 would also be removed. A detailed analysis of the first wave of demolition, which the government says is complete, shows that 31 structures were destroyed. At least 78 more were partially damaged, according to the Center for Information Resilience (CIR), a London-based nonprofit focused on exposing human rights violations.
More than half the buildings were damaged by heavy machinery, often leaving roofs, ceilings and layers between floors intact, said Guy Fuss, an investigator. myanmar Sakshi, a CIR project. “There may be an intention to renovate and reuse these buildings,” he said.
New satellite imagery shows that most buildings in Keck Park appeared fully or partially intact on December 4, while demolition had spread to other parts of the complex.
Will the raids make any difference in the long run?
The track record of sustainable enforcement in Myanmar is poor. The raid was conducted in response to Sugar The pressure earlier this year failed to stem the rise of scam compounds, according to C4ADS, a US-based nonprofit that takes a data-driven approach to conflict analysis. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, more than 7,000 scam center employees were released as part of that purge, but the scams continued.
C4ADS examined satellite imagery of 21 known scam complexes in Myawaddy township and found that 14 of them – including KK Park – had shown construction or expansion since January.
“This continued growth of scandal is a symbol of the junta’s inability to rein in the industry within Myanmar,” said C4ADS analyst Michael Di Girolamo.
Where have all the scammers gone?
Since the raid on KK Park Thai The military said about 1,500 people working there have crossed into Thailand through official channels – a fraction of the total workforce, estimated to number in the thousands.
The whereabouts of the rest are unknown. Telegram is coming up with job ads for newly displaced workers. Four workers who fled KK Park told the AP that some followed company owners to other locations.
A man trapped in a nearby complex called Hengsheng Park 4 told the AP that more than a hundred KK Park workers had stayed for a week before moving on. “I heard that most of them went to Cambodia, Mauritius and Africa,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear for his safety.
KK Park is one of about 30 scam complexes along Myanmar’s border with Thailand. The government says it has also raided additional sites, including Shwe Kokko – another notorious compound targeted by US authorities. But scammers have continued to operate unabated, and people trafficked from around the world are still waiting to be rescued, people trapped in scam centers and activists trying to free them told the AP.
“It’s no real action yet,” said Jai Kritia, coordinator of the Civil Society Network for Human Trafficking Victim Assistance.
Are scammers in Myanmar still using Starlink to go online?
Myanmar state media broadcast photos of dozens of seized Starlink units, and spacex announced that it had shut down access to more than 2,500 Starlink units in Myanmar.
But the person at Hengsheng Park 4 told the AP they are still using Starlink — three units stopped working after SpaceX’s action, but the fourth is still working.
Starlink is still operational at the Deco Park campus, 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of Keck Park, according to an employee stranded there.
The AP asked SpaceX for comment and provided the locations of both compounds, but the company did not respond.
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This story is part of an ongoing collaboration between the Associated Press and Frontline (PBS) that also includes an upcoming documentary.
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Associated Press reporter Huizhong Wu contributed from Bangkok, Thailand.
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Contact AP’s global investigative team at Investigative@ap.org or https://www.ap.org/tips/.