Residents have reported an increase in deaths, missing persons, criminal activities, and thefts in the Karen State town of Myawaddy, on the Burma-Thai border.
There are high levels of crime in the border town, which is home to a diverse population from various ethnic groups. For instance, a married couple who sold cars went missing and in recent days at least two delivery drivers have gone missing and not been heard from, according to locals.
A resident of Myawaddy said: “People frequently go missing, it isn’t reported as news… when thieves are caught stealing things we don’t know where they are taken.”
Talking of the missing people he said: “Delivery drivers have gone missing before. When delivery drivers deliver goods far away phone contact with them can be lost and they go missing for three or four days before going back home. The couple that sells cars has been missing for a long time, we still haven’t heard any news from them.”
A woman’s beaten body was also found at a dump near to Myawaddy Town, according to reports.
The people who have gone missing include people from Myawaddy and others who recently moved to the town.
Another resident said: “Even during the day, there have been cases of homes being robbed. Some thieves even enter homes and quietly eat the food that others have cooked. Overall, there is a significant lack of security. They [burglars] often carry knives when they burgle people’s homes, so if you resist, they might stab you.”
It has been difficult to independently verify any of these crimes and the authorities have made no statements about them.
Residents have also reported a significant increase in casinos, gambling activities, illegal money lending, and prostitution in Myawaddy Town.
Currently Myawaddy is under the control of the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF), which claims it is a neutral force, and the junta-aligned Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA). There are also still junta troops and a junta administration in the town.
A Karen BGF official told the Karen Information Center (KIC) media group that it has deployed 2,000 personnel throughout the town for security and to prevent any conflict.
