Delegations from Myanmar, China, and Thailand met in Myawaddy Town in Karen State on December 15 to strengthen efforts against telecom scam operations, locally known as Zhapian gangs, based in the border area near Thailand.
The Chinese delegation was led by Assistant Minister of Public Security Liu Zhongyi, according to the junta-aligned Karen Border Guard Force (BGF), which primarily operates in Myawaddy. Liu personally visited KK Park and BGF-controlled Shwe Kokko Town, both notorious hotspots for Zhapian operations.
The repatriation of suspects and workers involved in the scam operations to their respective countries was also included on the meeting agenda.
An agreement has been reached to extradite the Chinese nationals leading the Myawaddy-based scam ring to China, a BGF source confirmed.
“China dispatched the Assistant Minister of Public Security specifically for the Zhapian crackdown. He inspected Shwe Kokko and KK Park and discussed the prompt extradition of arrested Chinese suspects,” the source said.
The trilateral meeting comes after the United States also vowed to become involved in anti-scam operations. The junta stated that Myanmar and China discussed and agreed to reject foreign interference under the pretext of the Zhapian crisis. According to the coup regime, China and Myanmar agreed that only regional countries should work together on anti-scam operations.
“The Zhapian issue has become a hot topic internationally, which shows just how deeply these criminal gangs are entrenched along the border. Without a group like the BGF, a major power player in the region, the Zhapian crackdown simply wouldn’t have succeeded. The BGF only stepped in after significant pressure from China and Thailand,” said a Myawaddy resident.
While locals acknowledge that the trilateral talks represent an important shift, they remain skeptical about the ability to fully stop scam operations and continue to watch cautiously.
Myawaddy, where the meeting took place, is located near territories controlled by the Karen National Union (KNU), a major ethnic armed organization (EAO) opposing the junta, and has frequently been a site of military tensions.
The KNU’s official statements called for the eradication of drug trafficking, illegal businesses, and telecom scams in the region. It also asserted that these illegal operations are allowed only by the junta, and that the KNU has granted no such permissions.
