Ethnic ethnic groups in southeastern Myanmar have been approved by the US for alleged involvement in human trafficking and online fraud, deny the allegations.
The US Treasury announced sanctions against the Karen Army (KNA) on Monday, with its leader colonel looking at Chu and his sons, looking at Chitt, looking at Htoo eh Moo.
They are being accused of “promoting cyber fraud that harms US citizens, human trafficking and cross-border smuggling,” the Treasury statement said.
“The operations of cyber fraud like those run by KNA generate billions of income for criminal Kingpin and his companions, depriving the victims of their hard-earned savings and security.”
“The Treasury is committed to using all the tools available to take responsibility for disrupting these networks and seeking to benefit from these crime schemes.”
Those hired to carry out fraud often find themselves deceived by pretending to be false and trapped in virtual slavery.
Sanctions block eligible individuals and their businesses from accessing money and assets under US control, and prohibiting US citizens from providing financial services.
Seen Chit Too has already been approved by the EU and the UK to profit from fraudulent compounds and human trafficking.
KNA spokesman Lt. Col. Naing Maung Zaw said the group’s activities are aimed at community development and have no connection to cyber fraud.
He described US sanctions as a cautious act of abolishing by a country that is stronger than weaker.
“They can, so they do it,” he said.
Local militias in some border areas have de facto control in areas dominated by minority groups.
The KNA controls several areas of Shwe Kokko and Misawadi on the border with Thailand in Kain Province, also known as Karen Province.
Crime Syndicate
Shwe Kokko and Myawaddy are refugees for crime syndicates that have forced hundreds of thousands of people in Southeast Asia and elsewhere to help run online fraud, including romantic tricks, fake investment pitches, and illegal gambling schemes.
Critics accused the KNA of being involved in criminal activity, at least to the extent that it provides protection to the fraud centre.
Naing Maung Zaw said the fraud operation took place not only in areas controlled by the KNA, but also elsewhere in Myawaddy.
He said his group will lease the land from several companies that hold property where the fraud centers are located, and that KNA will continue to repatriate the foreign workers working in fraud centers on a large scale, working in cooperation with the military government.
He said 7,454 of the 8,575 foreign fraud workers had been deported through Thailand in February following crackdowns by Myanmar, Thailand and China.
Naing Maung Zaw said more than 10,000 people have been identified in KNA-controlled regions, and the group will continue to work to eliminate fraudulent activities.
Kain Province, ruled by Karen’s ethnic minorities, has seen fierce armed conflicts since February 2021 when the Army came to power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.
The United States previously imposed sanctions on Myanmar’s military leaders, their suppliers and state-owned banks, which are linked to alleged human rights violations.
