Statement by 30 Karen Communities Organisations Worldwide: Urgent Call for Immediate International Cooperation and Royal Thai Government Action

We strongly call for urgent international cooperation with the Karen National Union (KNU)  following the KNU’s crackdown on a major transnational scam center in Min Let Pan, Kawthoolei’s Dooplaya District (Myawaddy Township, Burma).

The KNU has exposed extensive transnational criminal networks, with torture structures and weapons, where thousands of people are confined. To tackle this effectively, the KNU has called for serious international cooperation. There have been frequent artillery shelling as well as airstrikes by the Burmese military in an effort to disturb the KNU’s operation and destroy the evidence of those transnational criminal activities.

Local communities have suffered immensely just as worldwide victims including USA, China, India, Taiwan and Malaysia have suffered at the hands of these criminal operations. The Burmese military remains the root cause of all of these transnational crimes.

We urge the international governments, in particular, the Royal Thai Government to respond without delay. Thai citizens are among those trapped and exploited within these compounds. Full cooperation from international authorities and the Royal Thai Government is essential to ensure immediate protection, repatriation of all foreign victims, and the rapid dismantling of the criminal syndicate responsible for these transnational crimes.

We urgently call for:

– Immediate international coordination with the KNU, especially Thai authorities, on rescue operations, investigations, and comprehensive victim protection.

– Deployment of professional forensic and crime-scene teams to secure evidence before it is destroyed or removed by the Burmese military and the criminals.

– Robust regional and international cooperation with the KNU to dismantle all transnational criminal networks operating along our border areas.

We call on United States of America, European Union and member states, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and all potentially impacted countries to offer support and expertise to the KNU and Thailand to help them deal with this crisis.

Local civil society organisations, led by the Karen Peace Support Network, raised grave concerns years ago as these scam centres were being constructed. Those warnings were dismissed because they conflicted with the false narrative of the Burmese military’s so-called reforms. Meanwhile, pro-military groups including the Border Guard Force (BGF), operating in partnership with the Burmese military, facilitated the establishment of these brutal business sites.

It is now crucial that the international community work directly with the Karen National Union to dismantle these scam centres and hold all perpetrators accountable.

The KNU has taken significant risks to expose a criminal system spanning multiple countries. This moment cannot be ignored. Without urgent engagement, especially from Thailand, victims remain in grave danger, and critical evidence may soon be lost.

We call on the Royal Thai government to fully cooperate with the KNU, uphold humanitarian principles, open up the border and allow safe protection and aid for victims. The world must act now. Any delay will result in further unnecessary harm and loss of life.

Contact persons-

Nan Kyi Aye Shwe: ga_shwe@yahoo.com

Naw Wah Ku Shee: Kpsn14@gmail.com

Saw Mie Tha Lah: miethalah1976@gmail.com 

Mahn San Lwin: Sanlwinyshwe@yahoo.com.au 

Endorsed by the following organisations:

1. Australia Karen Organisation (AKO)
2. Ayeyarwaddy Delta Karen- South Korea (ADK)
3. Backpack Health Workers Team (BPHWT)
4. Burma Medical Association (BMA)
5. Committee for the Internally Displaced Karen People (CIDKP)
6. European Karen Network (EKN)
7. Karen Community Association- UK (KCA-UK)
8. Karen Community in Norway (KCN)
9. Karen Community Korea (KCK)
10. Karen Community of Canada (KCC)
11. Karen Department of Health and Welfare (KDHW)
12. Karen Environmental and Social Action Network
13. Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG)
14. Karen Office for Relief and Development (KORD)
15. Karen Organization of America (KOA)
16. Karen Peace Support Network (KPSN)
17. Karen Refugee Committee Education Entity (KRCEE)
18. Karen River Watch (KRW)
19. Karen Student Networking Group (KSNG)
20. Karen Swedish Community (KSC)
21. Karen Teacher Working Group (KTWG)
22. Karen Women’s Organisation (KWO)
23. Karen Youth Organization (KYO)
24. Kawthoolei Women Network (KWN)
25. Mutraw Community Development and Management Committee (MCDMC)
26. New Zealand Karen Association (NZKA)
27. Overseas Karen Organization Japan (OKOJ)
28. Southern Youth Development Organization (SYDO)
29. Tanawthari Karen United for Liberation and Equality (TKULE)
30. Taw Oo Humanitarian and Development Committee (THDC)

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