After Thailand moved to cut electricity supply and internet access to several areas along the Myanmar border to curb the activities of Chinese scam syndicates in Myawaddy township, the Border Guard Force (BGF) -- an ethnic Karen militia allied with the Myanmar junta, led by Colonel Saw Chit Thu -- finally agreed to take action.
While the move appears to be in line with the commitments the BGF had made to the Thai government, there are doubts about the sincerity of their actions. Is the BFG really committed to eradicating these scam syndicates, or was it just a tactical manoeuvre aimed to temporarily ease the pressure from Thailand?
At first glance, the recent arrests of individuals suspected of being involved with these networks and their subsequent transfer to Thailand for further legal action and deportation seemed to reflect the BGF's eagerness to work with the Thai government. However, many of these individuals were low-level employees and their employers remained beyond the reach of authorities.
It is believed that many ethnic armed groups in Myanmar are financed by criminal groups, including these scam syndicates. Unless the masterminds behind these criminal groups are arrested and prosecuted, these crackdowns won't have any effect. The groups will simply regroup and ultimately resume their activities.
While hundreds of victims and employees of these scam syndicates have been deported, the bosses behind these criminal enterprises have yet to be affected, as they are under the protection of ethnic armed groups, such as the BGF and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA).
The current crackdown won't have a significant impact on these syndicates because it is targeting low-level employees instead of the bigwigs behind these crime groups. Without a change in focus, these groups will surely proliferate again once Thailand restores power and internet supplies to the affected areas.
As such, Thailand must remain vigilant and closely monitor Myanmar's response. It would be naive of the government to think that the BGF's recent actions reflect its commitment to tackling the issue.
Furthermore, the Thai government must thoroughly screen individuals detained by the BGF and sent to Thailand. While it is true that some were deceived into working for these scam syndicates, a significant number willingly travelled to Myanmar in pursuit of better-paying -- albeit illegal -- jobs.
In fact, according to Pol Gen Thatchai Pitaneelaboot, chief of the police's Anti-Human Trafficking Centre, only 1% of foreign workers at these scam centres were genuinely deceived into joining.
The vast majority, meanwhile, chose to go to Myanmar to work -- some to avoid prosecution, others to escape financial woes.
Given that these syndicates have defrauded many Thai citizens -- some of whom have lost their entire life savings to these groups -- those who weren't pressured into joining these scam networks shouldn't be allowed to evade justice by claiming to be victims.
The collaboration of Myanmar's ethnic armed groups with the Thai government is a positive step towards eradicating scam syndicates operating along the Thai border. However, the government must not be misled by superficial gestures.
If these groups and Myanmar's authorities fail to crack down on the real masterminds behind these transnational criminal enterprises, Thailand must not hesitate to ramp up the pressure on them to ensure that justice is served.