China’s Role in Southeast Asia’s Latest Scam Center Crackdown

Thai army personnel gesture to alleged scam centre workers and victims from China arriving from Myanmar at the border checkpoint in Mae Sot in Tak province on February 20, 2025. Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP

China, Thailand, and Myanmar last week ramped up efforts to curb cyber scams on the Thai-Myanmar border, working to free the foreign workers inside.

AFP examines why the crackdown is occurring now and its broader implications for relations between the three countries.

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