Jonathan Head, the South East Asia correspondent, is reporting from Shwe Kokko, Myanmar. The city is described as a brand new city \”built on scams\”. The tall, shiny buildings that stand out in the cornfields on the Myanmar side of the Moei river are a surprising sight. Eight years ago, this area in Karen State was barren, with just trees, a few cement buildings, and ongoing civil war. Today, Shwe Kokko has emerged as a small city on the border with Thailand, accused of being a hub for fraud, money-laundering, and human trafficking.
The man behind Shwe Kokko, She Zhijiang, is currently in a Bangkok jail awaiting extradition to China. His company, Yatai, which built the city, promotes Shwe Kokko as a resort city and a safe destination for Chinese tourists. However, reports suggest a darker reality of scams and illegal activities within the city. Despite efforts to improve the city’s image and invite journalists for a closer look, the allegations of scams and criminal activities persist.
Accessing Shwe Kokko is challenging, with the city being off-limits to casual visitors. The city has the appearance of a Chinese city, with Chinese characters on signs and a significant presence of Chinese-made construction vehicles. Despite Yatai’s claims of no more scams in Shwe Kokko, local reports suggest otherwise, with scam operations still running unchecked.
The story of She Zhijiang is shrouded in mystery, with allegations of criminal activities dating back to his early years in online gambling. His partnership with a Karen warlord to build Shwe Kokko has only added to the intrigue surrounding his background. Despite his denial of involvement in telecom fraud and scams, the city of Shwe Kokko continues to be associated with illegal activities and exploitation of workers from various countries.