Myanmar Spring Chronicle – November 9 Overview
(MoeMaKa, November 10, 2025)
Buildings in KK Park, One of the Cybercrime Hubs in the “Kyar Phyant” Region, Destroyed by the Junta and BGF
The KK Park compound, one of several sites in Myanmar’s “Kyar Phyant” (Tiger Spread) region known for operating large-scale cyber scam and human-trafficking networks, has reportedly been demolished by Myanmar’s military junta in coordination with its allied Border Guard Force (BGF).
According to the junta’s statement, over 101 out of approximately 140 buildings inside KK Park were destroyed — some blown up with explosives, others demolished by heavy machinery. The military first announced its entry into the area on October 19. Official photos showed soldiers inside the compound and piles of destroyed Starlink satellite dishes, computer monitors, and other equipment, but notably, no cybercrime workers or victims appeared in the released images.
In the days after the operation, reports emerged that nearly all Kyar Phyant scam operators, trafficked workers, and managers from KK Park had already fled. Those working in the scam industry — including managers, Burmese nationals who had gone there voluntarily for high-paying jobs, foreign nationals, and enslaved victims — had reportedly scattered before the raid.
Many of these people fled through Myawaddy, continuing toward Hpa-An in Karen State, and across the Thai–Myanmar border via the Thaungyin (Moei) River, reaching Mae Sot, Thailand. The junta reportedly arrested dozens, while Thai authorities detained hundreds of escapees — including Chinese nationals and others from various countries.
Why KK Park was singled out — among the many Kyar Phyant scam hubs operating along the Thai–Myanmar border — is unclear. Only the junta and the BGF would know the exact reasons. Other notorious scam centers — such as Shwe Kokko (still under BGF control), Kyauk Khet (under DKBA control), and Three Pagodas Pass (also DKBA territory) — continue to operate.
After regaining control of the Asia Highway between Myawaddy and Kawkareik earlier this year, the junta launched further offensives southward — into Lay Kay Kaw, Lekhat Taung, and other border areas. The KNU/KNLA, which had reportedly leased the KK Park area about five years ago, became entangled in the issue when the junta chose the compound as a target for its “anti–cybercrime” campaign.
By attacking KK Park, the junta effectively drew the KNU into international scrutiny, associating it with the region’s scam operations. Although KK Park was originally leased, it has long been protected by BGF forces, suggesting that the operation was jointly coordinated between the junta and the BGF.
The BGF itself has faced mounting pressure from Thailand and international governments over its role in protecting cybercrime and human trafficking syndicates, including sanctions and diplomatic warnings. The demolition of KK Park is likely a strategic gesture by both the junta and the BGF to reduce international pressure.
Victims of the Kyar Phyant cybercrime networks span across China, the United States, Europe, and other Asian countries. China, in particular, has been pushing aggressively for crackdowns, since many of its citizens are both operators and victims of these modern-day slavery-based scam enterprises.
Before the internet era, transnational criminal groups in Asia mainly dealt in drug trafficking, human smuggling, and contraband, extending their networks from Southeast Asia to Europe and the Americas. In the last decade, however, cybercriminals have shifted to online scams — such as fake investment platforms, fraudulent e-commerce sites, and imitation social media accounts. Global losses have ballooned from billions to trillions of dollars annually.
These syndicates thrive in regions with weak law enforcement — often under the protection of armed groups or corrupt authorities who take a share of the profits. In Myanmar, they are concentrated mainly in northern and eastern Shan State, and along the Myanmar–Thailand border in Karen and Mon States — areas offering easy cross-border access, internet and power infrastructure, ample cheap labor, and minimal legal oversight.
Some reports even claim that certain Chinese intelligence agencies once used informants within these scam groups to collect information, before later helping to crack down once the networks grew too powerful and began tarnishing China’s image.
Throughout history, authoritarian regimes and military juntas have often collaborated with criminal or paramilitary organizations when it served their interests — trading protection or impunity in exchange for money, intelligence, or political leverage.
Therefore, the junta’s demolition of KK Park is more symbolic than decisive — like burning one termite mound while the colony moves elsewhere. The “nest” may be destroyed, but the “Kyar Phyant” networks — scattered and well-funded — will rebuild and resurface soon enough in new locations along the border.