Mizzima-Nov 16

The targeted nature of U.S. sanctions against the DKBA and BGF signals that the Trump administration has a more nuanced understanding of the Burma (Myanmar) war, possibly opening the way for a policy of engaging EAOs individually. The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army and four of its senior leaders, along with the companies Trans Asia and Troth Star, for supporting cyber scam centers targeting Americans. Treasury officials said criminal networks operating from Burma are stealing billions of dollars from Americans through large-scale online investment schemes. These networks rely on trafficked workers who are coerced into targeting Americans through messaging apps and fake investment platforms designed to appear legitimate, with Americans losing an estimated ten billion dollars per year.

Treasury investigators traced stolen funds to Tai Chang, a major scam compound near Myawaddy in Karen State. The compound sits inside DKBA-controlled territory and is overseen by Brigadier General Sai Kyaw Hla. U.S. officials say Tai Chang is one of several scam centers developed through cooperation between DKBA leaders and Trans Asia, a Thailand-based company that acts as a front for China-linked transnational criminal organizations. Trans Asia and Troth Star have also been tied to other scam facilities, including the Huanya compound and the notorious KK Park complex, both of which have repeatedly targeted Americans.

The United States sanctioned several senior figures of the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army, also known as the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, DKBA Brigade 5, the Kaloh Htoo Baw Armed Group, the Karen Klo Htoo Baw Organization, the Klo Htoo Baw Battalion, DKBA 5, or KKO, for their roles in these operations. Treasury also sanctioned Chamu Sawang of Trans Asia International Holding Group Thailand Company Limited, which finances DKBA-linked scam centers. The DKBA, headquartered in Sone See Myaing Village near Myawaddy, was also designated for its involvement in human trafficking, cyber fraud, and destabilizing activities inside Burma. The sanctions were announced alongside the creation of the Scam Center Strike Force, a joint effort led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia with the Justice Department, the FBI, and the Secret Service.

Read more at: https://eng.mizzima.com/2025/11/16/28258