‘ Complex ‘ matter needs joint approach
Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has rejected claims by Myanmar’s dictatorship that Thailand is partly to blame for the development of online fraud facilities in Myanmar, saying the problem is a complex issue that fears many functions.
Mr Phumtham, who is also the defence minister in the Paetongtarn Shinawatra management, said Thailand isn’t the only group at fault because these cartels operate across countries ‘ edges.
He was responding to claims made by Myanmar’s defense government to local media sources, which said the government’s “neighbour” is making it difficult for the coup to mark out the criminal syndicates.
While the state is committed to cooperating with Myanmar authorities to remove these scam cartels, Mr Phumtham said the problem was never discussed in a new meeting between senior Thai military officers and key characters within the Myanmar junta.
The conference, he said, was mainly focused on basic boundary affairs without going into more detail.
Individually, Defence Ministry official Thanathip Sawangsang said Thailand has always kept an eye on illegal actions happening along the border.
He said the government is usually ready to help Myanmar break down on legal gangs operating along the border if it can be proven that the criminals are using Thailand as a foundation for their businesses.
In another development, the House Committee on State Security, Border Affairs, National Strategy and Reform wants the Interior Ministry to explain why it hasn’t moved to cut electricity supplies to scam centres operating across the border in Myanmar, despite having been ordered by the Srettha Thavisin administration to do so.
” The ministry is duty-bound to follow the cabinet resolution to ensure electricity sales to parties in Myanmar do not impact Thailand’s national security,” said Rangsiman Rome, a People’s Party list MP, in his capacity as the committee’s chairman.
The permanent secretary of the Interior Ministry, the secretary-general of the National Security Council ( NSC ) and the manager of the Provincial Electricity Authority’s ( PEA ) office in Mae Sai district of Tak province were invited to the session.
” In fact, the ministry has been given repeated instructions to cut the electricity supplies to [scam hubs in ] Myanmar,” Mr Rangsiman said.
” I don’t understand why it is so extremely difficult for the PEA to take action. How shameful it is to have the Myanmar media saying that Thailand, as the supplier of energy [for the scam hubs], is supporting the crimes.
” Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul better pay serious attention to this matter, or else the public would think he has something to do with those transnational criminal networks,” said Mr Rangsiman in parliament.
Mr Anutin had previously said he had called on the PEA to stop supplying electricity to households and/or commercial facilities which are suspected of diverting their electricity supplies to scam gangs in Myanmar.
However, the PEA said it can’t do much apart from checking whether the facility it is supplying electricity to is properly registered with Myanmar authorities.
The use and distribution of electricity past that point, it said, is the responsibility of local authorities in Myanmar.
According to Mr Rangsiman, one of the parties buying electricity from the PEA is a nominee of the leader of the Karen National Army (KNA ).
A representative of the NSC said the council has been working closely with the PEA to find a link between parties buying electricity from the PEA and criminal gangs in Myanmar, but it has yet to find any evidence to prove the allegation.
A representative of the PEA said the PEA has already submitted information on its electricity buyers to the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, Anti-Money Laundering Office, the Department of Special Investigation and the Royal Thai Police for inspection.