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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."
English (US) ·