Five Years ago, the land near Myawaddy was a quiet stretch of fields. Today it is home to KK Park, a 210-hectare walled compound with villas, restaurants, and even a private hospital. From the outside it resembles a tech campus. Inside, it operates as one of the world’s most notorious scam centres, where trafficked workers are forced into online fraud schemes under armed guard.
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A Growing Criminal Infrastructure
Since Myanmar’s military seized power in 2021, the number of scam centres along the Thai border has more than doubled, according to research by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Drone images show ongoing construction at KK Park, Tai Chang, and Shwe Kokko, including satellite internet systems likely used to bypass Thailand’s cut-off of electricity and internet. The expansion highlights how cybercrime hubs continue to thrive despite international scrutiny.
Human Suffering Behind the Screens
Victims describe daily punishments ranging from stun gun shocks to grueling forced exercises. Mateo, a Filipino man lured by a false job offer, was trapped inside KK Park for six months. Each day he was ordered to message hundreds of people online, building trust before passing them to scam teams. “There are many armed guards,” he recalled. Escaped survivors recount torture, permanent injuries, and a sense that “money is more important than human life.”
Military Complicity and Global Blind Spots
Analysts argue that Myanmar’s military has allowed scam centres to flourish, relying on their profits as part of its war economy. Thai police estimate as many as 100,000 people remain enslaved inside these compounds. Yet experts warn governments still underestimate the scale. “To see this as a small trafficking issue is ignorance,” said Amy Miller of Acts of Mercy International. With similar patterns emerging in Sri Lanka and Nigeria, KK Park stands as a warning of how cyber fraud, human trafficking, and state complicity can converge into one of the world’s fastest-growing criminal industries.