The Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) called on the Thai government to resume electricity and fuel supplies to border areas of Karen State after they were cut in an effort to combat telecoms scam gangs operating there.

The call was made in a statement issued by the junta-aligned Karen BGF on 1 March 2025. It claimed that Thailand’s cutting of electricity and fuel supplies has hindered efforts to rescue foreign workers from telecom scam compounds in Myawaddy Township, Karen State, whilst also causing severe humanitarian hardships that have significantly disrupted the daily lives of local communities in border areas,

Karen BGF spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Naing Maung Zaw said to KIC: “We've issued this as a final statement for the locals impacted by these measures. Rather than completely cutting off electricity and fuel, Thailand can find a way to ease the restrictions in a controlled manner. If Thailand ensures fair treatment for both Myanmar and Thai citizens, without discrimination, it'll also contribute to stronger bilateral relations between the two countries.”

In the statement the Karen BGF also claimed that it has taken swift, decisive, and effective action to crack down on telecom scam operations such as raiding illegal businesses to apprehend perpetrators and rescuing trafficking victims.

It also claimed that Karen BGF has rescued 7,141 trafficked foreigners from telecom scam compounds and is now looking after them in Myawaddy.

It called on Thailand and the countries of the freed trafficking victims to repatriate the approximately 7,000 foreigners from about 30 countries who are still in Myawaddy after having been rescued from telecom scam operations during February 2025. It stressed that this needs to be done as soon as possible because the Karen BGF is currently responsible for providing them with accommodation and food.

The Karen BGF also claimed that it is eager to collaborate with the junta’s Myanmar government and the international community to eliminate telecom scams and human trafficking in its statement.

It also claimed that it had set up a special task force to crack down on the thriving telecom scam and human trafficking activities in the areas it controls, following intense domestic and international pressure.

Telecom scam centres, primarily run by Chinese nationals, have set up in areas of Myawaddy Township mainly controlled by the junta-aligned ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) the Karen BGF and the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA). They are notorious for deceiving international job seekers with false promises and then imprisoning them and forcing them to scam people online.

Some Thai authorities have called for arrest warrants to be issued and the Thai Department of Special Investigation (DSI) is investigating to see whether arrest warrants should be issued for three Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) leaders for human trafficking.