BANGKOK — Nearly 700 foreign nationals have fled Myanmar into Thailand after a military operation targeted KK Park, a Chinese-backed enclave notorious for large-scale cybercrime and human trafficking, Thai authorities announced.
The Thai army reported detaining 677 individuals—618 men and 59 women—who crossed into Thailand’s Tak province earlier this week. The group includes citizens from China, India, Vietnam, Pakistan, Indonesia, and several other countries. Officials said all detainees are undergoing legal processing and humanitarian screening, with additional detention facilities being prepared if needed.
Myanmar’s military claimed to have taken control of KK Park, a sprawling compound near the border long known to international law enforcement agencies and diplomats for its role in global cyberscam operations. According to Myanmar state media, soldiers are “inspecting and securing” the area after dismantling the criminal networks that ran the site.
Thai authorities emphasized that their response adhered to “legal and humanitarian principles,” citing cooperation with local security agencies to maintain border stability.
A Regional Hub for Cybercrime
KK Park and neighboring compounds in the “Golden Triangle” region—where Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos meet—have become centers for online fraud and forced labor. The United Nations estimates that billions of dollars have been generated from scam syndicates that coerce victims from across Asia to work under threat and confinement.
International Concern
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed its cooperation with both Thailand and Myanmar to crack down on transnational crime networks exploiting Chinese citizens. Meanwhile, rights groups and United Nations agencies have urged regional governments to ensure that trafficking victims are identified and protected rather than criminalized.
Analysts say the exodus from KK Park signals the collapse of one of Southeast Asia’s most infamous cybercrime centers—but also highlights the growing humanitarian fallout as governments intensify cross-border crackdowns on scam compounds. (zai)