The Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA), a junta-aligned Karen armed group controlling Payathonzu (Three Pagodas Pass) Town and surrounding areas in Karen State, has denied reports that new buildings are being constructed there for telecom scams, locally known as Zhapian businesses.
DKBA spokesperson Colonel Saw A Wan dismissed reports that new buildings have appeared in Payathonzu Town, Kyainseikgyi Township, purportedly to serve as a telecom scam hub.
There have been widespread reports that in Kyeinchaung Village, about 20 kilometers from Payathonzu Town near the Thai border, new buildings have been constructed for telecom operations, and that the DKBA has allowed around 5,000 Chinese nationals to shelter there.
“Reports say that three- or four-story buildings are being built in Payathonzu, but there are actually only two four-story buildings in the whole town. The rest are no more than two stories high. I think the photos in the media were taken elsewhere but presented as if they were from Payathonzu,” said Saw A Wan, who is also the commander of the DKBA military region 2.
Earlier, Khit Thit news agency reported that Bo A Wan's DKBA in Payathonzu accepted scam operators relocated from the KK Park compound demolished by the junta, as well as from Minletpan Village and Shwe Kokko in Myawaddy Township, Karen State.
Khit Thit also claimed that around 2,000 Chinese and numerous Myanmar nationals are now sheltering in Payathonzu, with the DKBA allowing them to conduct scam operations and collect taxes from that business.
Payathonzu is within the operational area of Karen National Union (KNU) Brigade 6, whose commander has instructed him not to permit such illegal activities, Saw A Wan said.
Although he firmly opposes telecom scam operations, the emergence of such reports is intended to sow divisions among Karen armed groups, Saw A Wan accused.
A resident of Payathonzu confirmed that the Chinese people have been constructing numerous buildings, as mentioned in the report.
“It’s true that the Chinese are building a lot of structures, as the news reported. They’ve cleared forested areas to make way for the buildings, blocked access to those sites, and posted armed guards. There are two or three such construction sites,” he told KIC.
Saw A Wan did not deny the presence of Chinese nationals in Payathonzu, but clarified that they were only there to build factories for packaging local vegetables and processing them for export purposes.
“There’s a factory being built that can grind 2,000 tons of tapioca flour a day. They’re also putting up another plant to turn the by-products from that factory into animal feed. It’s just a one-story building, and the owner is Chinese. No high-rise buildings have been built,” Saw A Wan said.
The international focus on telecom scams has waned somewhat, as attention has shifted to the junta-run election and the announcement by Kawthoolei Army (KTLA) commander-in-chief Saw Nerdah Mya to establish a Kawthoolei Republic in Karen State.
