In a bold move that has drawn international attention, Col Saw Chit Thu, the formidable leader of the Myanmar junta-allied Karen Border Guard Force (BGF), has embarked on a mission to join forces with the Thai government. Their target? To dismantle the notorious call-centre scam gangs entrenched near the Thai-Myanmar border. Addressing Thai Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, Col Saw Chit Thu left no room for doubt, affirming that the BGF is committed to apprehending call scammers and human traffickers operating within its territories in Myanmar.
The colonel has further pledged to streamline the repatriation process for victims of human trafficking. Kicking off this cooperative effort, the BGF has planned to escort a significant number of foreign trafficking survivors from Myawaddy across the 2nd Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge, delivering them safely to Thai soil in Tak’s Mae Sot district.
This daring maneuver aims to bolster the collaborative initiative between Thailand and Myanmar to dismantle these transnational crime syndicates and ensure that trafficked individuals are safely returned to their home countries. “We earnestly seek the support and counsel of the Thai government whenever necessary,” expressed Col Saw Chit Thu in his official statement.
A border insider disclosed that the BGF intends to deport more than 8,000 individuals, predominantly Chinese nationals, back to their homeland. These individuals, believed to be operatives of the call centre gangs, form part of a broader effort to cleanse the borderlands of criminal elements.
Adding weight to this anti-crime coalition, Pol Gen Thatchai Pitaneelaboot, director of the Royal Thai Police’s Anti-Human Trafficking Centre and Police Cyber Taskforce, announced that Beijing had shared a comprehensive list with Thailand. The list identifies over 3,700 Chinese nationals implicated in call-scam and trafficking operations in Myanmar.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Mr. Phumtham expressed gratitude towards Col Saw Chit Thu, commending his readiness to combat illicit activities permeating the border region. The overarching objective is clear: annihilate all call scammers operating along the bustling Thai-Myanmar frontier and reunite victims with their loved ones abroad.
The tale took a dramatic twist, however, when on Tuesday, Justice Minister Pol Col Tawee Sodsong revealed an impending arrest warrant for Col Saw Chit Thu and other key BGF leaders on charges of human trafficking. When approached about this development, Mr. Phumtham diplomatically stated that justice would run its due course.
These leaders stand accused of orchestrating the trafficking of Indian nationals, coerced into the nefarious call centre operations. Col Saw Chit Thu, during a candid conversation with BBC Burmese, asserted that his armed faction had actively combated human trafficking, liberating many victims along the way.
Underscoring the complexity of these accusations, civil rights organization Justice for Myanmar brought to light the BGF’s entanglement in Chinese-operated online scams, illicit casinos, and online gambling dens in the notorious Myawaddy, as reported by The Irrawaddy.
In December 2023, the UK and the EU imposed stringent sanctions against Col Saw Chit Thu over allegations of human trafficking, forced labor, and human rights abuses. They extended these sanctions to also include Lt Col Mote Thone and Maj Tin Win.
Meanwhile, Myanmar’s Khit Thit Media disclosed that last Friday, the BGF conducted raids on suspected scam and trafficking dens within Shwe Kokko, opposite Mae Sot. Among the locations targeted were hotels, bars, and restaurants, echoing the BGF’s commitment to repatriate staff coerced into these fraudulent enterprises back to their countries.
It’s about time someone takes serious action against these scammers. Col Saw Chit Thu seems to be doing something right.
Isn’t it ironic how the very person tasked with stopping crimes is now under suspicion? Justice needs to be thorough!
True, these kinds of allegations can’t be taken lightly. Still, we shouldn’t ignore his contributions to stopping trafficking.
Col Saw Chit Thu is just playing both sides till he gets caught. No one should trust him.
Let’s not forget that those scammers need to be stopped. Any effort to bring them down is a step in the right direction.
Sure, but what if his effort is just a cover-up for his crimes? We can’t be naive.
WarriorJoe, you might be right. But if we always assume the worst, nobody would be trying to make a change.
I just feel devastated for the victims. I hope this crackdown really helps reunite families.
Same here, but you know how these things often play out. It’s usually a PR stunt.
I sincerely hope it’s not just for show. People deserve their lives back.
Doesn’t this just show how messy international relations are around these issues? We need more global cooperation.
Absolutely. It’s always complicated when crime spans multiple countries. We need unified efforts!
Right, and maybe this cooperation could be a launching pad for more effective international policies.
It’s small steps like these that have broader implications. Change has to start somewhere.
All this sounds good, but let’s not forget that politicians often use these situations to bolster their own image.
You’re partially right. However, what matters is the victims are prioritized and saved.
That would be ideal, Larry. Unfortunately, world politics doesn’t exactly run on ideals.
It’s easy to criticize from the outside. Probably much harder to actually face these criminal networks head-on.
I have little faith that any decisive action will be taken. We’ve seen this before with no major changes.
It’s good to see such collaboration across borders, but I wonder how far this will really go. Will other countries join too?
Col Saw Chit Thu’s actions should be met with healthy skepticism. Let’s see the proof before we applaud.
Skepticism or cynicism? There’s a difference, and it’s easy to conflate the two in these discussions.
With so many fingers in this pie, it’s hard to know who is truly innocent. Such a complicated mess.
Exactly. And those who are truly guilty usually know how to evade justice.