Karen National Union requests embassies take foreign nationals; Crisis Group report on Shan State

Karen National Union requests embassies take foreign nationals

The Karen National Union (KNU) announced on Tuesday that embassies must retrieve 741 foreign nationals its armed wing, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), detained from a raid on a cyber scam center allegedly operated by the pro-regime Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) in Minletpan village, located in southern Myawaddy Township, Karen State, on Nov. 21. 

The KNU statement on Nov. 25 claimed that at least 230 DKBA members surrendered to KNLA-led forces during the cyber scam raid on Nov. 21. It added that it has handed over 28 Thai and 36 Chinese nationals to the Thai authorities.

The 741 foreign nationals detained from the cyber scam center raid are from Ethiopia, Rwanda, Egypt, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and China, according to the KNU.

It added that the scam center could host at least 2,000 workers, and that it is in the process of identifying everyone who was employed there. The U.S. Treasury Department imposed financial sanctions on four DKBA leaders over allegations of involvement in cyber scams on Nov. 12. The DKBA has denied all accusations.

Myawaddy is located 81 miles (130 km) east of the Karen State capital Hpa-An.

Crisis Group report on ethnic tension in Shan State