{"id":5219,"date":"2025-02-13T04:37:32","date_gmt":"2025-02-12T22:07:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/?p=5219"},"modified":"2025-02-13T04:39:06","modified_gmt":"2025-02-12T22:09:06","slug":"5219","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/2025\/02\/5219\/","title":{"rendered":"A Changing Scene in the Zh\u00e0pi\u00e0n Scam Drama"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

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Myanmar Spring Chronicle \u2013 February 11\u00a0<\/strong>
MoeMaKa, February 12, 2025<\/em><\/p>\n

A Changing Scene in the Zh\u00e0pi\u00e0n Scam Drama<\/h3>\n

The unfolding saga of the Zh\u00e0pi\u00e0n scam continues to escalate, as armed groups operating under their protection in the border towns between Karen and Mon States, along with corrupt officials from neighboring countries, are now under investigation.<\/p>\n

In recent days, Thai authorities have cut off electricity and fuel supplies to key hubs of the Zh\u00e0pi\u00e0n operations, including Myawaddy, Three Pagodas Pass, and Tachileik. This blockade has intensified reports and reactions surrounding the crackdown, bringing new revelations almost daily.<\/p>\n

The extent of the Zh\u00e0pi\u00e0n scam, which began infiltrating the region around 2018, appears to be far larger than initially believed. Not only are local armed groups such as the Border Guard Force (BGF) and the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) implicated in providing protection, but even high-ranking police officials from Thailand have been found to be involved\u2014either through bribes or by holding profit shares in the operation.<\/p>\n

On the Myanmar side, not only the BGF and DKBA but also regional commanders from the military council, including senior officers from its operational headquarters, are reportedly receiving bribes. Given China\u2019s heavy involvement in the recent crackdown, it is likely that the Chinese government has pressured the military council to cooperate. However, no concrete reports have yet emerged detailing the military council\u2019s direct role, leaving the BGF and DKBA as the primary enablers of the scam in the current narrative.<\/p>\n

Myanmar media outlets have been actively interviewing representatives and leaders from these two armed groups, who continue to portray themselves as innocent parties. However, their statements often reveal selective transparency\u2014acknowledging only the parts of the scam that are already publicly known while denying deeper involvement.<\/p>\n

These armed groups frequently claim that they only “lease land” to businesses, but the reality is that these so-called tenants have built massive compounds with private security forces, engaging in large-scale fraud and human trafficking. It is beyond belief that the groups providing them protection are unaware of their activities. The Zh\u00e0pi\u00e0n scam itself is built on deception\u2014luring victims with false promises, forcing them into fraudulent activities, and subjecting them to modern-day slavery, including physical abuse and even death. Those who wish to escape are only released after paying exorbitant ransoms or recruiting new victims.<\/p>\n

Journalists conducting interviews have often shied away from asking direct, hard-hitting questions. Instead, they pose safer queries, such as what the groups would like to say to Thailand or how they would respond if Thailand took further action. However, the critical questions remain unasked: Why are these groups protecting the Zh\u00e0pi\u00e0n scam? How much more profitable is it compared to protecting casinos and gambling operations? These are the questions that the public wants answers to, but they remain largely unaddressed.<\/p>\n

China’s diplomatic pressure aims primarily at punishing the Chinese nationals running these scams and dismantling the criminal networks that exploit its citizens. The Chinese government has been aggressively pushing neighboring and allied countries to take action, applying all possible means of pressure. For Myanmar, where these scams are based, the armed groups involved will have to face both reputational and financial consequences.<\/p>\n

Traditionally, these border armed groups relied on trade taxes, smuggling fees, and drug trafficking to sustain their operations. However, they have now become key protectors of modern cyber scams and human trafficking rings. This transformation represents a stark shift in their role\u2014from local militias profiting off illicit trade to enablers of large-scale digital fraud and organized crime.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Myanmar Spring Chronicle \u2013 February 11\u00a0MoeMaKa, February 12, 2025 A Changing Scene in the Zh\u00e0pi\u00e0n Scam Drama The unfolding saga of the Zh\u00e0pi\u00e0n scam continues to escalate, as armed groups operating under their protection in the border towns between Karen…<\/p>\n

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