DESPITE Thailand having this morning (Feb. 5) cut electricity, Internet and fuel supply to Myanmar’s Myawaddy township, just across the border from Mae Sot district, workers at a flourishing scam hub are continuing to con their victims as usual because their criminal bosses have stocked up fuel and installed backup generators in advance, Naewna newspaper said this afternoon.
However Thailand’s action has led to local people queuing up for fuel at petrol pumps.
Borderline News Agency reported that after the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) shut off supply to Myanmar border towns from five points this morning it appeared that criminal call centres along the Moei river were able to continue scamming people.
A foreign victim trafficked to work at a scam centre said right now (10 to 11 a.m.) they were still working on their computers scamming victims in many countries including Thailand.
“We actually hoped that if there is no electricity, these Chinese businesses would stop, but we know that over the past few days when news spread that power cutoff is looming they already ordered a large amount of fuel and bought back-up generators,” said one victim.
Meanwhile an electrician in Mae Sot said Myawaddy relies entirely on Thailand for electricity. Previously, electricity generated at Mawlamyine reached Myawaddy but after fighting broke out between the Myanmar junta and Karen National Union (KNU) all the power lines were destroyed.
The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) has been selling power to Myawaddy for over 20 years now because in the past there were no call centre gangs there,
“Previously, during former prime minister Srettha Thavisin’s government, there was a single trial at cutting off power supply.
“Therefore the other side is well prepared, they stocked up hundreds of thousands of litres of diesel to power generators.
“They will survive for a while, but the result will soon show. In the long run it will be difficult to survive if electricity and fuel are shut off like this,” he said.
Ordinary people in Myawaddy are also hoarding fuel with many of them queuing up at petrol pumps to buy some.
Myawaddy can only import fuel from Thailand because the main route connecting to Hpa-an has been cut off since the fierce fighting between Myanmar junta and the KNU broke out last year. Currently, the KNU still occupies the zone flanking Highway AH1 in the Kawkareik area.
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Top and Front Page: A Provincial Electricity Authority team cutting electricity supply to Myawaddy. Photos: Thai Rath
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