Myanmar Junta Accuses US of ‘Hidden Agenda’ in Anti-Scam Crackdown

Myanmar military spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun has accused Washington of pursuing a “hidden agenda” in its newly announced campaign against online fraud and gambling operations in Southeast Asia, including notorious scam hubs on the Myanmar-Thai border.

Speaking to junta media on Wednesday, Zaw Min Tun referred to a Nov. 12 statement issued by the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announcing the formation of a Scam Center Strike Force (SCSF). The office, which is under the US Department of Justice, said the unit was created to protect Americans from cyber-fraud schemes, including cryptocurrency-related scams, allegedly based in Southeast Asian countries.

It said the Strike Force had deployed FBI agents to Bangkok to embed with the Royal Thai Police War Room Task Force to combat scam compounds, including KK Park in Karen State.