The junta is allowing gambling establishments to open in Mon State as if gambling was legal, which has led to a sharp rise in theft and robbery.
Since the February 2021 coup, the junta has been promoting funfairs and other festivities in Mon State where gambling establishments are freely allowed to operate by the junta authorities, despite being illegal. This has resulted in a surge of gambling related crimes, with such crimes being reported almost every day.
There have even been incidents of desperate gamblers committing murder to rob motorbikes, while crimes like snatching motorbikes, phones, and other items have become a near-daily norm in Mon State.
According to the Mon State resident who spoke to Than Lwin Times such crimes are so widespread because the junta has failed to effectively crack down on the spread of illegal gambling establishments in Mon State.
He said: “Gambling dens are everywhere now. Their spread in Mon State is really driving up robberies. In our village, we catch robbers and thieves and hand them over to the police, but most of the time, they're let go soon after and nothing else happens.”
He went on to say that thefts and robberies are taking place both night and day. Sometimes they involve groups of criminals and in some cases their crimes can be life threatening.
Another Mon State resident said that the junta had been turning a blind eye and allowing gambling dens to run for years in Mon State, which has led to an increase in crime.
He said: “Thieves target homes, yards, villages, towns, cities, orchards—pretty much everywhere. If they can't find anything to steal, they'll even cut electrical wires to take them. These crimes are driven by gambling dens that run non-stop all year long.”
Because the junta has failed to take any action against these crimes the criminals have become more brazen and have begun using physical threats and violence to rob people.
Despite the junta claiming that its patrols are providing security in Mon State, in reality they very rarely apprehend thieves and criminals. Instead they concentrate on conducting surprise checks in crowded areas and intersections, and entering homes to search for unregistered overnight guests.
There are many security cameras installed at the town entrances and crossroads in Mon State, but the junta uses them for surveillance rather than for preventing crime. When people become the victims of crime, they receive no help from the authorities and have to endure the situation on their own.
