China, Myanmar, Thailand officials discuss cooperation in eliminating telecom fraud in Myawaddy, Myanmar
A senior officials' meeting on Lancang-Mekong law enforcement cooperation was held on Tuesday in Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan Province with representatives from the six countries - Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and China - participating. During the meeting, senior officials from China, Myanmar and Thailand exchanged views on cooperation aimed at eliminating the telecom fraud base in Myawaddy, Myanmar.
They unanimously agreed to deepen practical cooperation under the framework of the Lancang-Mekong law enforcement and security cooperation mechanism, which includes strengthening intelligence sharing, joint operations, capacity building, and emergency coordination and communication in response to public security incidents, working together to combat prominent cross-border crimes.
The meeting highlighted the occurrence of a slew of serious online gambling and telecom fraud cases along the Thai-Myanmar border, which threaten and harm the vital interests of citizens from various countries, drawing significant attention from all parties.
Representatives from the six countries unanimously agreed to strengthen comprehensive cooperation, launch targeted operations, and adopt strong measures to resolutely combat telecom fraud and its derivative crimes. Efforts will be made to fully coordinate the rescue of trapped individuals, apprehend the leaders of criminal groups, and dismantle telecom fraud dens, in a bid to provide a safe environment for the people of the Lancang-Mekong region and to uphold the good order of exchanges and cooperation among Lancang-Mekong countries.
During the meeting, senior officials from China, Myanmar and Thailand held a special session to exchange views on cooperation in eliminating the telecom fraud base in Myawaddy in Myanmar, reaching a positive consensus.
Separately, the Lancang-Mekong Integrated Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation Center (LMLECC) announced on Tuesday that a total of 70,000 suspects involved in telecom fraud cases were arrested, and more than 160 victims were rescued during a joint law enforcement operation by six countries including Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam between August and December 2024.
The LMLECC is the first international intergovernmental organization in the field of political security in the Lancang-Mekong region under the framework of the Lancang-Mekong cooperation mechanism.
On Tuesday, the center held a debriefing meeting in Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan Province on the "Operation SEAGULL," the sub-operation of Joint Operation "Safe Lancang-Mekong" focusing on cracking down on telecom fraud and its related crimes, and firearms smuggling.
This operation, conducted between August and December of 2024, brought together law enforcement agencies from Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam to jointly combat regional telecom and online fraud, its related crimes, and the smuggling of firearms and ammunition, yielding significant results. According to preliminary statistics, during the operation, over 160 cases, with most involving telecom fraud, were solved. More than 70,000 suspects were arrested, and over 160 victims were rescued.
Delegations from the Ministry of the Interior of Cambodia, the Ministry of Public Security of China, the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Defense of Laos, the Ministry of Home Affairs of Myanmar, the Royal Thai Police, and the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam participated in the meeting. Representatives from international organizations, such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the ASEAN Chiefs of Police, were invited to join the discussions.
Several Chinese nationals, including actor Wang Xing, were lured to the Thailand-Myanmar border and held captive, sparking public concern. Wang returned to China on January 10 and thanked the Chinese government, the Chinese embassies in Thailand and Myanmar, the Chinese and Thai police, and various other law enforcement agencies.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China is prepared to collaborate with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries to combat cross-border online gambling and telecom fraud effectively when meeting with diplomatic envoys from 10 ASEAN countries in Beijing on Thursday.
Peng Nian, director of the Hong Kong Research Center for Asian Studies, told the Global Times on Tuesday that as a regional cooperation mechanism with broader law enforcement scope, "Operation SEAGULL" has proven more effective in combating crime compared to bilateral mechanisms. This effectiveness, as demonstrated by the data, highlights the operation's greater success over sporadic rescue efforts in the past.
Peng noted that while the first phase of the operation has yielded significant results in rescuing hostages, cracking down on telecom fraud, and deterring related activities, telecom fraud has not been completely eradicated.
For the second phase, Peng emphasized the need to rescue more individuals trapped in telecom scams to address public concerns. He also stressed the importance of establishing an information exchange mechanism among relevant countries to enable precise targeting of telecom fraud gangs. Additionally, Peng called for a normalized mechanism for combating telecom fraud among the Lancang-Mekong countries to ensure a long-term deterrent against criminal activities.