Latest news with #KarenNationalArmy
The Star
07-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Militia group sanctioned by the US for ‘facilitating cyber scams'
AN ETHNIC militia in southeastern Myanmar that has been sanctioned by the United States for alleged involvement in human trafficking and online scams has denied the accusations. The US Treasury Department had earlier announced sanctions against the Karen National Army, or KNA, as well as its leader Col. Saw Chit Thu and his sons, Saw Htoo Eh Moo and Saw Chit Chit. They are accused of 'facilitating cyber scams that harm US citizens, human trafficking and cross-border smuggling,' according to a Treasury Department statement. 'Cyber scam operations, such as those run by the KNA, generate billions in revenue for criminal kingpins and their associates, while depriving victims of their hard-earned savings and sense of security,' said Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender. Those who are hired to carry out the scams have often been tricked into taking the jobs under false pretences and find themselves trapped in virtual slavery. Saw Chit Thu has already been sanctioned by the European Union and the UK for profiting from scam compounds and human trafficking. Lt Col Naing Maung Zaw, a spokesperson for the KNA – which operates as the Karen ethnic minority's official Border Guard Force affiliated with the military government – said KNA's activities are aimed at regional development and not related to scams. Naing Maung Zaw said scam operations were carried out not only in areas controlled by the KNA but also in other places in Myawaddy. He acknowledged that his group rented land to some businesses holding the property where scam centres were located and said the KNA would continue with its mass repatriation of the foreigners working in scam centres, as well as continue to work toward the elimination of scam activities. — AP
AsiaOne
07-05-2025
- Business
- AsiaOne
US puts sanctions on Myanmar warlord and militia linked to cyber scams, World News
WASHINGTON -The United States imposed sanctions on Monday (May 5) on a Myanmar warlord, his two sons and the militia he leads for facilitating cyber scams, human trafficking and cross-border smuggling, the Treasury Department said. The Treasury said the warlord, Saw Chit Thu, is a central figure in a network of illicit and highly lucrative cyberscam operations targeting Americans. Hundreds of thousands of people have been trafficked by criminal gangs across Southeast Asia in recent years and forced to work in the scam operations, according to the United Nations. The move puts financial sanctions on Saw Chit Thu, the Karen National Army that he heads, and his two sons, Saw Htoo Eh Moo and Saw Chit Chit, the department said in a statement, freezing any US assets they may hold and generally barring Americans from doing business with them. Britain and the European Union have already imposed sanctions on Saw Chit Thu. The Karen National Army is headquartered in Shwe Kokko, a so-called "Special Economic Zone" along the Thai-Myanmar border, where the militia leases land and provides security for compounds where trafficked individuals are forced into scamming strangers online, the statement said. "Cyber scam operations, such as those run by the KNA, generate billions in revenue for criminal kingpins and their associates, while depriving victims of their hard-earned savings and sense of security," said Deputy Secretary Michael Faulkender. Naing Maung Zaw, a spokesperson for the KNA, said Saw Chit Thu was saddened by news of the US sanctions but that they "will not affect us in any way". "I really cannot understand why this happened when we ... are working to crack down on scam centres and repatriate victims to their respective countries," Naing Maung Zaw said. "We will continue the work we have started." Saw Chit Thu's ties to Myanmar's military rulers, evidenced by an honorary title for "outstanding performance" conferred on him by junta chief Min Aung Hlaing in November 2022, have helped him build his position. [[nid:714795]] Washington has imposed multiple rounds of sanctions on Myanmar's junta and its sources of income since the military toppled the elected government of Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, igniting a spiraling civil war. Monday's sanctions were the first Myanmar-related sanctions imposed since President Donald Trump took office in January. The Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network last week proposed banning Cambodian financial firm Huione Group from the US financial system over its alleged role in laundering illicit funds from cyber heists and online scams.
Free Malaysia Today
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
US sanctions Myanmar warlord, militia linked to cyber scams
Hundreds of thousands of people have been trafficked across Southeast Asia and forced to work in scam operations. (AP pic) WASHINGTON : The US imposed sanctions yesterday on a Myanmar warlord, his two sons and the militia he leads for facilitating cyber scams, human trafficking and cross-border smuggling, the treasury department said. The treasury said the warlord, Saw Chit Thu, is a central figure in a network of illicit and highly lucrative cyber scam operations targeting Americans. Hundreds of thousands of people have been trafficked by criminal gangs across Southeast Asia in recent years and forced to work in the scam operations, according to the United Nations. The move puts financial sanctions on Saw Chit Thu, the Karen National Army that he heads, and his two sons, Saw Htoo Eh Moo and Saw Chit Chit, the department said in a statement, freezing any US assets they may hold and generally barring Americans from doing business with them. Britain and the European Union have already imposed sanctions on Saw Chit Thu. The Karen National Army is headquartered in Shwe Kokko, a so-called 'special economic zone' along the Thai-Myanmar border, where the militia leases land and provides security for compounds where trafficked individuals are forced into scamming strangers online, the statement said. 'Cyber scam operations, such as those run by the KNA, generate billions in revenue for criminal kingpins and their associates, while depriving victims of their hard-earned savings and sense of security,' said deputy secretary Michael Faulkender. Naing Maung Zaw, a spokesman for the KNA, said Saw Chit Thu was saddened by news of the US sanctions but that they 'will not affect us in any way'. 'I really cannot understand why this happened when we… are working to crack down on scam centres and repatriate victims to their respective countries,' Naing Maung Zaw said. 'We will continue the work we have started.' Saw Chit Thu's ties to Myanmar's military rulers, evidenced by an honorary title for 'outstanding performance' conferred on him by junta chief Min Aung Hlaing in November 2022, have helped him build his position. Washington has imposed multiple rounds of sanctions on Myanmar's junta and its sources of income since the military toppled the elected government of Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, igniting a spiralling, civil war. Yesterday's sanctions were the first Myanmar-related sanctions imposed since President Donald Trump took office in January. The treasury's financial crimes enforcement network last week proposed banning Cambodian financial firm Huione Group from the US financial system over its alleged role in laundering illicit funds from cyber heists and online scams.
The Hindu
06-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
U.S. puts sanctions on Myanmar warlord and militia linked to cyber scams
The United States imposed sanctions on Monday (May 5, 2025) on a Myanmar warlord, his two sons and the militia he leads for facilitating cyber scams, human trafficking and cross-border smuggling, the Treasury Department said. The Treasury said the warlord, Saw Chit Thu, is a central figure in a network of illicit and highly lucrative cyberscam operations targeting Americans. Hundreds of thousands of people have been trafficked by criminal gangs across Southeast Asia in recent years and forced to work in the scam operations, according to the United Nations. The move puts financial sanctions on Saw Chit Thu, the Karen National Army that he heads, and his two sons, Saw Htoo Eh Moo and Saw Chit Chit, the department said in a statement, freezing any U.S. assets they may hold and generally barring Americans from doing business with them. Britain and the European Union have already imposed sanctions on Saw Chit Thu. Saw Chit Thu and his militia could not immediately be reached for comment. The Karen National Army is headquartered in Shwe Kokko, a so-called "Special Economic Zone" along the Thai-Myanmar border, where the militia leases land and provides security for compounds where trafficked individuals are forced into scamming strangers online, the statement said. "Cyber scam operations, such as those run by the KNA, generate billions in revenue for criminal kingpins and their associates, while depriving victims of their hard-earned savings and sense of security," said Deputy Secretary Michael Faulkender. Saw Chit Thu's ties to Myanmar's military rulers, evidenced by an honorary title for "outstanding performance" conferred on him by junta chief General Min Aung Hlaing in November 2022, have helped him build his position. Washington has imposed multiple rounds of sanctions on Myanmar's junta and its sources of income since the military toppled the elected government of Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, igniting a spiraling civil war. Monday's (May 5, 2025) sanctions were the first Myanmar-related sanctions imposed since President Donald Trump took office in January. The Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network last week proposed banning Cambodian financial firm Huione Group from the U.S. financial system over its alleged role in laundering illicit funds from cyber heists and online scams.
The Independent
06-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
US sanctions Myanmar militia and warlord linked to cyber scams and trafficking
The US has sanctioned a Myanmarese militia and its warlord for their alleged role in cyber scams as well as smuggling and human trafficking rings that have cost Americans billions of dollars. The Treasury Department on Monday sanctioned the Karen National Army, an ethnic Buddhist militia group operating in southeast Kayin state bordering Thailand, its leader Saw Chit Thu, and his two sons, Saw Htoo Eh Moo and Saw Chit Chit. The militia is linked to Myanmar 's military junta, which grabbed power in a 2021 coup. The US has previously imposed a series of sanctions on the ruling junta and its leaders. The Karen National Army emerged as a distinct entity after splitting from the Myanmar military in April 2024. In its earlier avatar as a Myanmar army unit, it was known as the Karen Border Guard Force. The group was originally formed in 1994 as the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army. According to the US Treasury, the militia leases land to organised crime gangs in Myanmar and runs highly lucrative 'scam compounds' targeting Americans. Myanmar and fellow Southeast Asian countries of Cambodia and Laos have seen a mushrooming of criminal groups involved in cyber scams. These groups run multinational scams exploiting trafficked workers as well as people who have been forcibly taken, deceived or coerced into working in their scam centres, often under abusive or inhumane conditions. The UN warned last month that these criminal gangs have been expanding despite crackdowns and spreading their tentacles as far away as Ireland and Mexico. 'A significant portion of cyber scams targeting Americans and others around the globe emanate from Southeast Asia,' the Treasury said in a statement Monday, adding that such scams had lost Americans about $3.5bn (£2.6bn) in 2023 alone. The sanctions on the Karen National Army, its chief and his sons freeze any US assets they may hold and bar Americans from doing business with them. The UK and the EU have already imposed sanctions on the warlord. 'Cyber scam operations such as those run by the KNA generate billions in revenue for criminal kingpins and their associates, while depriving victims of their hard-earned savings and sense of security," deputy secretary Michael Faulkender said. Mr Thu is known to have close ties to the military rulers as he was conferred an honorary title for "outstanding performance" by junta chief General Min Aung Hlaing in November 2022. The American sanctions came as the military junta extended its ongoing ceasefire with armed rebel groups until the end of the month, the third extension since a powerful earthquake caused widespread devastation in the country. The junta chief's office said the ceasefire had been extended to accelerate reconstruction and recovery efforts in areas most affected by the 28 March earthquake. Naing Maung Zaw, a spokesperson for the KNA, said Mr Thu was saddened by news of the US sanctions but that they "will not affect us in any way". "I really cannot understand why this happened when we ... are working to crack down on scam centres and repatriate victims to their respective countries," Mr Zaw said. "We will continue the work we have started."
