MYAWADDY, MYANMAR – A high-profile demolition of the notorious KK Park cybercrime hub was revealed to have been largely staged, with scam operations already relocated nearby.
Junta’s demolition drive broadcast worldwide
Last week the Myanmar military junta moved into KK Park with heavy machinery and explosives, leveling entire buildings and crushing computers with bulldozers. State media broadcast dramatic images of the destruction for days. Major General Zaw Min Tun, the junta’s spokesperson, declared:
“We will completely eradicate online fraud activities, right down to the root.”
said Zaw Min Tun, junta spokesperson. Authorities claimed that 237 buildings had been reduced to rubble, but subsequent analysis suggested a very different reality.
Satellite analysis contradicts official claims
Nathan Ruser of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute examined satellite images and concluded that only a small portion of the site had actually been demolished. According to his assessment, only 13% of the total area of KK Park was destroyed, while the 520-hectare complex of high-rises, villas and offices largely remained. Jacob Sims of Harvard University issued a harsh verdict:
“This was just a demonstration of strength, but practically nothing.”
said Jacob Sims, Harvard University researcher. He said the real masterminds behind the operations had not been arrested.
Scam operations quietly move to new sites
Former workers said that cyber-fraud operations had already shifted to other locations before the cameras arrived. Sandy Lin, a former employee, said:
“Our company had already rented a new building near Myawaddy and resumed operations.”
said Sandy Lin, former employee. Than Soe, who fled KK Park and now worked in the nearby Apollo Park, added:
“KK Park was not really closed, that was just for show.”
said Than Soe, former KK Park worker. The scammers were using Telegram groups to coordinate moves to new compounds.
Warlord and border force behind scam compounds
Behind the chain of scam complexes along the Thai–Myanmar border stood Colonel Saw Chit Thu, described as a warlord and businessman. He controlled the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF), which cooperated with Chinese mafia groups. Expert Jason Tower from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime said that along the 200-kilometer frontier there were around 40 scam compounds employing up to 100,000 people.
International pressure and disputed motives
China only began to press the junta after the United States set up a “Scam Center Strike Force” targeting such operations. However, BGF spokesperson Naing Mg Zaw denied that foreign pressure played a role, insisting:
“We had already decided to dismantle the scam centers.”
said Naing Mg Zaw, BGF spokesperson. The demolition of largely empty buildings did not change the lucrative business of online fraud, and while the junta staged explosions for the cameras, bosses continued their activities just a few kilometers away.