Myanmar Spring Chronicle – September 18
Published by MoeMaKa on September 19, 2023
Sagaing Grapples with Escalating Violence as Myanmar Becomes a Hub for “Zhà Piàn” Online Scammers
In the mid-2000s, the administrative capital of Sagaing Division was relocated to Monywa, a city just 10 miles from Mandalay. Over two years of resistance against the military council’s forces in Sagaing have resulted in attacks that have increasingly encroached upon the city, impacting the region. While attacks are common around Monywa, the present administrative capital of Sagaing Division, there are frequent reports of incidents occurring beyond the city’s confines. However, attacks within Sagaing city itself remain relatively rare.
People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) have established a presence in nearly every township and village along the road from Sagaing to Shwebo and Monywa. Incidents such as military council troops entering villages, arresting and, at times, killing those suspected of affiliations with the PDF, and the burning of houses, have become an unfortunate norm.
Recent news has covered an attack on the police station in Padu Village, situated not far from Sagaing Township. Additionally, military council forces have reportedly entered Thalon Phyu Village in Sagaing Township. News reports have mentioned their involvement in the murder of a deputy police superintendent and his wife, revealing that junta troops raided the village and killed seven residents.
Locals assert that the military council troops have been unable to maintain control of areas beyond Kaung Hmu Taw Pagoda on the outskirts of Sagaing since the previous year. Nevertheless, reports of attacks and activities in such proximity were unheard of until recently, and these concerns have caused a decline in city traffic.
In another development, it was reported that China and the Myanmar Military Council are jointly cracking down on individuals associated with online money-swindling criminal gangs known as “Zhà Piàn” in Chinese. Authorities from both sides have apprehended thousands of individuals in Wa Self-Government Region and Kokang Self-Government Region, which share a border with China, and have expedited them to China.
No recent reports have emerged concerning arrests or transfers in areas protected by armed groups around Shwe Kokko in Myawaddy Township, a notorious region along the Thai-Myanmar border. The involvement of specific armed groups, such as KNU, BGF, and DKBA, remains unclear. In general, it is deduced that the BGF, which aligns with the military council, plays a pivotal role. Previously, online activities of this nature were confined to these armed areas. However, recent reports indicate that scammers have established offices in places such as Yangon, which, under the Military Council, no longer effectively enforces the rule of law—except in its suppression of political opponents. Online fraud gangs have even taken up residence in combined office and residential condominiums on Paso Tan Road in Yangon’s city center.
The Chinese government has exerted pressure on armed groups in the ethnic regions bordering China and publicly urged the Myanmar Military Council to crackdown on these online scams and gangs. These efforts have led to the arrest of thousands of individuals involved in online fraud within a matter of months. This development underscores China’s influence on both the Myanmar Military Council and ethnic armed groups along Myanmar’s border.
These online fraud gangs, finding shelter in a nation plagued by political and armed conflicts, have discovered areas where law enforcement has severely deteriorated, largely due to political and security issues. They have chosen regions dominated by armed groups that permit such activities in exchange for payments. In essence, these online scam syndicates have targeted a nation in turmoil, one in which they can freely operate while paying off the armed groups that control the area, thus bringing Myanmar further into international notoriety.