YANGON, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar on Sunday held a press conference in Yangon on the elimination of telecom fraud and online gambling.
Speaking at the press conference, Zaw Min Tun, leader of the Information Team of Myanmar's National Defense and Security Council, described telecom fraud and online gambling as a national security threat, saying the crimes undermine public trust, economic security, national stability, and the country's dignity.
Myanmar does not accept telecom fraud and online gambling activities and is actively cooperating with the international community to suppress them, Zaw Min Tun said.
A series of special operations have been launched, and over 70,000 foreign nationals involved in these crimes were repatriated to 54 countries over more than two years, he said.
A total of 398 buildings used as scam centers in the KK Park area were also demolished as of Dec. 12, and the remaining 237 buildings will be demolished. The government is working to completely demolish the buildings in the area to prevent the resurgence of criminal activities, such as telecom fraud and online gambling, he added.
Myanmar's Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Maj-Gen Aung Kyaw Kyaw said that a national-level Central Supervisory Committee on Combating Telecom Fraud and Online Gambling was established on Dec. 10 to eradicate online fraud in border areas, prevent it from spreading domestically, and effectively eliminate telecom fraud and online gambling. I
Despite being the location of the scam centers, Myanmar is not the root cause or primary beneficiary of telecom fraud and online gambling crimes, he said.
He also called on international organizations to provide practical assistance on intelligence sharing, technology, and training support, saying that Myanmar alone cannot tackle online scam networks. ■
