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【【 Thailand to cut power to 2 Myanmar cities over criminal activity-related casino complex 】】


A Thai state-run company responsible for distributing electric energy to Myanmar villages has cut power to two villages near the border.

Steps for Security:

Thai officials did so on purpose because the towns of Shwe Kokko and Lay Kay Kaw are involved in major criminal activities. The two villages feature many complexes used for gambling and entertainment. And that won't be a problem unless it turns out that the Chinese investors who were in charge of these complexes didn't use them to buy many people.

The complexes have offered jobs to foreigners, and when they accepted, they were effectively detained. Their job was to cheat people, providing them with a variety of suspicious online offers as call center employees. Also, developers were accused of being involved in various drug and human trafficking activities.

Monsak Kaeon, the police chief of Mae Sot district, said power in Myawadi village in the province of Kain was cut off by Thailand's provincial power agency at midnight on Monday. However, the complexes did not affect them because they own their own generators.

Interior Minister Anupong Paochinda said this was because the Myanmar government did not want to extend its supply contract with the Thai government. The autonomous development zone, where the complexes are located, is controlled by the border guards, a special militia owned by investors and ethnic Karen minorities.

Fractions and Lawlessness:

The state has been unable to harness its authority in the region, making it fertile ground for various criminal activities, particularly drug trafficking. Groups like Karen demand political autonomy, but at the same time, lawlessness is very evident in the region, as other minorities also want to work with numerous criminal organizations. The main reason the government has not responded so far is that militias have been on their side and have still managed to prevent conflict.

Power at Shwe Kokko was shut down throughout the town for about 30 seconds. It was restored to all the main buildings, but complexes and other buildings on the outskirts of the town remained without electricity. KK Park, one of the casino complexes, did not respond to that, however.

Monsak, on the other hand, said the Karen border guards were continuing to negotiate with the government, hoping the contracts would be renewed and citizens would return to power. He said, "If the negotiations don't pay off, we could start seeing some impact in a week or two."

As shown in the report, the Myanmar government wanted Thai officials to cut off electricity. However, Myanmar officials want to meet with them to discuss their potential impact, as the recent actions can increase illegal entry into the country and lead to a halt in cross-border business.