China-backed controversial mega project in Myanmar rapidly becoming human trafficking hub

Headlines

Human rights advocates are concerned about an increase in human trafficking cases after hearing that the Shwe Kokko New City in Karen State, southeast Myanmar, has turned into a major hub for crime.

The town, which claims to be a Special Economic Zone and is home to several Chinese-owned enterprises, is governed by the Karen Border Guard Force, an arm of the Myanmar military, and is located on the banks of the Moei River, across from Thailand. The majority of human trafficking victims in the area, according to the online journal The Diplomat, are from Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Laos.

They are detained and made to work as internet swindlers for organised crime groups. Mandarin or Cantonese speakers who are forced to work day and night for nefarious syndicates make up a sizable portion of the trafficked population.

The existence of casinos and nightclubs in the region has attracted numerous Chinese investors, employees, and tourists to Shwe Kokko. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of China, according to certain sources, includes Shwe Kokko New City, according to The Irrawaddy.

Beijing, however, has refuted that and distanced itself from the fictitious Special Economic Zone, which is worth USD 15 billion. The Chinese embassy in Myanmar stated on its Facebook page in August 2020 that Shwe Kokko “is an investment from a third-country and has nothing to do with the Belt and Road Initiative.”

The Shwe Kokko project is a significant part of the BRI, according to a 2017 article from China’s state-run Xinhua news agency, which disputes that assertion.

According to the Xinhua report, the Shwe Kokko Special Economic Zone was being built by the state-owned company China Metallurgical Group Corporation.

The Asia-Pacific High-Level Conference on BRI Cooperation, which took place in Beijing in June 2021, was referenced by The Irrawaddy. U Wunna Maung Lwin, the junta’s foreign minister, was present at this summit, when China assured member nations that it will continue funding BRI infrastructure projects despite the COVID-19 outbreak.

She Zhijiang, Shwe Kokko’s supervisor and the president of the Yatai International Holding Group, was detained by Thai officials in August. She is wanted internationally for allegedly operating an illicit internet casino.

He has also reportedly participated in lottery schemes in the Philippines and Cambodia, according to many media sources. According to reports, She Zhijiang has been evading capture by Chinese officials since 2012. He is currently being extradited to China, according to Thai authorities.