By Ra Wai/MPA
The Myanmar military junta plays a central role and profits significantly from large-scale cyber scam operations, according to a report by Justice For Myanmar (JFM).
The report asserts that profits from these cyber scam operations are funding international crimes committed against the people of Myanmar.
“The Myanmar military and its aligned Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) have been shaken by Thailand’s recent crackdown on their scam operations. They are now scrambling to evade accountability while fearing further action,” said Yadanar Maung, spokesperson for Justice For Myanmar (JFM).
JFM’s report underscores the Myanmar military’s pivotal role in a vast criminal network. The junta has fostered and strengthened the BGF, which operates under its command, enabling the rapid expansion of cyber scam operations in Myawaddy Township since the military coup in February 2021.
In February 2025, Thailand’s decision to cut electricity and fuel supplies to scam hubs along the Myanmar border marked a significant step. However, the report warns that a successful crackdown must address the root causes of these criminal networks within Myanmar itself.
Merely disrupting power supplies without dismantling the core infrastructure of these operations risks driving them to other locations, potentially worsening the situation.
“Without tackling the root of the problem—the Myanmar military, the Border Guard Force, and their criminal partners—any crackdown will merely displace these scams rather than eliminate them,” Yadanar Maung explained.
Justice For Myanmar is calling on Thailand and other governments to cut all sources of funding, arms, and aviation fuel to the Myanmar military and its affiliated militias, while also urging the criminal prosecution of those involved in these transnational crimes.
