By 
03-11-2024
Stella Liantsi
South and East Asia Researcher,
Global Human Rights Defence.
The Council of the European Union authorised further restrictive measures against three individuals and one organisation involved in fraud activities connected to the Myanmar military junta on October 29th.
The company Chit Linn Myaing Group (CLM) and its founder and former chairman are being listed by the EU, together with Lieutenant Colonel Mote Thun and Major Tin Win. In the Myawaddy township region on the Thai-Myanmar border, which includes the city of Shwe Kokko, there is CLM, a group of businesses that engage in and benefit from scam complexes. The town of Shwe Kokko is a hotbed of international crimes, including drug and people trafficking, internet fraud, and widespread human rights abuses including torture and forced labour. Additionally, CLM has a tight relationship with the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Armed Forces) with whom it works together, for instance by enlisting troops through coercion and supplying the Tatmadaw with information about government opponents.
A founding member and Deputy secretary general of the Karen/Kayin BGF/KNA*, an armed organisation connected to the Tatmadaw, Lieutenant Colonel Mote Thun is especially potent in the area south of Myawaddy, which is home to several scam centres. Under Colonel Saw Chit’s direct supervision, Major Tin Win has backed and profited from fraudulent complexes close to Myawaddy.
A total of 106 individuals and 22 organisations are now subject to an asset freeze as a result of these new listings and it is forbidden to give them money or other financial resources directly or indirectly or for their benefit. Additionally, all-natural individuals are prohibited from entering the European Union.
It is worth recalling that other restrictions imposed by the EU throughout the years are still in effect, including the ban on exporting dual-use items for the military and border guard police, the embargo on arms and equipment, the export restrictions on communications monitoring equipment that could be used for internal repression, and the ban on military training and collaboration with the Tatmadaw. These measures demonstrate the EU’s opposition to the military’s conduct in Myanmar, particularly violations of human rights and the repression of democracy after the coup in 2021.
* Border Guard Forces/ Karen National Army
Sources and further readings:
Council of the European Union. (2024, October 29). Myanmar/Burma: EU lists three individuals and the one entity responsible for scam operation entailing serious human rights violations and threatening the peace, security, and stability of Myanmar and the region. Retrieved on November 19th, 2024 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2024/10/29/myanmarburma-eu-lists-three-individuals-and-one-entity-responsible-for-scam-operations-entailing-serious-human-rights-violations-and-threatening-the-peace-security-and-stability-of-myanmar-and-the-region/
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