Thailand cuts power to controversial China-funded Myanmar industrial park amid illegal gambling suspicions

2023-06-07 15:20:05

China-funded Burma KK Park was cut off by Thailand

(Agence France-Presse, Bangkok, 7th) Thailand has cut off the power supply to the KK industrial park on the Myanmar border, where there is a multi-billion dollar development project backed by Chinese funds. Analysts believe the scheme is nothing more than a front for an illegal gambling industry and Internet scams.

Thai authorities cut power to the Shwe Kokko district in Myanmar’s Karen state at midnight from the 5th to the 6th, Maesod district police chief Monsak Kaew-on told AFP. .

Monsa pointed out that following the Thai side’s contract for local power supply ended, the Burmese military government did not renew the contract, so the power was cut off.

The rule of law on the eastern border of Myanmar is weak, and many areas along the border are flooded with Chinese investment, operating local casinos, mining and logging.

The KK Park contains hotels and casinos built for Chinese clients, and these facilities are run by the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF), an ethnic militia linked to the Myanmar government army.

A BGF spokesman might not be reached for comment by AFP.

According to a 2020 report by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), the main supporter of the KK Park is She Zhijiang, a Chinese with Cambodian citizenship.

She Zhijiang’s Hong Kong-registered company, Asia Pacific International Holdings Group, once claimed that the $15 billion Asia Pacific New City project was part of Beijing’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative. The Chinese government denied any connection.

The U.S. Institute of Peace report noted that the development was characterized by land grabs and an influx of Chinese to escape Cambodia’s crackdown on organized crime. These groups later set up casinos and money laundering agencies in the local area.

She Zhijiang was detained by Thai authorities in August last year for illegally operating an illegal online casino.

According to Chinese media, She Zhijiang has been on the run from the Chinese government since 2012.

The Burmese military government has not commented on the power outage at the KK park.

Due to the outdated transmission grid, power outages are commonplace in Myanmar, especially during the hot summer months when demand exceeds supply.

Myanmar’s state media reported that Myanmar’s interior minister, appointed by the military government, met with the Chinese ambassador to Myanmar on May 31.

According to the Global New Light of Myanmar, topics they discussed included “cyber fraud and gambling on the Myanmar-China border and the Myanmar-Thailand border” and “strengthening cooperation to combat cross-border crimes.”

Since Myanmar gained independence from Britain in 1948, Kayin State has been torn apart by ethnic rebels and the military fighting each other.

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