200 Chinese nationals flee bombed Myanmar scam hub that once held Hongkongers

Around 200 Chinese nationals were among hundreds of people who reportedly fled the notorious KK Park in Myanmar and crossed into Thailand after military troops bombed the compound where some Hongkongers had previously been held.

Former district councillor Andy Yu Tak-po, who has been helping the families of local residents trapped in Southeast Asia since 2022, told the Post on Monday that around four Hongkongers remained at scam farms in Myanmar, but he was unsure if they were in KK Park.

A series of explosions have been heard since last Friday near the Thai-Myanmar border, with the latest occurring at around 5.30pm local time on Sunday when the Karen Border Guard Force and Myanmar’s army destroyed buildings tied to scam operations in KK Park, according to Thailand’s news website, The Nation.

KK Park is one of the most infamous scam hubs located in Kayin State’s Myawaddy Township. The complex, which lies across the Moei river from the Thai border town of Mae Sot, is a major cybercrime and human trafficking hub.

More than 600 people had fled the scam compound and crossed into Thailand, with some choosing to swim across the river, on October 22.

By October 27, the number had risen to 1,525, including 482 Indians, 220 Filipinos and 193 Chinese nationals, the website reported on Monday, citing figures from the Tak Border Command Centre and the Ratchamanu Task Force.