# KK Park

KK Park (Chinese: KK園區) is a collective name for fraud factories located in Myawaddy, Myanmar. Located next to the Moei River on the Myanmar–Thailand border, the complex is a major hub of Internet fraud and human trafficking within the larger Golden Triangle region.

## History

The complex was originally designed for border trade purpose, constructed between 2019 and 2021, with additional construction ongoing as of 2023. Dozens of such fraud factories were compiled and reported by media. According to DW, there are at least 12 related scamming sites near the border with Thailand. After the criminal accusation, they also run gambling businesses as a new source of income.
In August 2022, Myanmar military junta conducted massive sweeps targeting hundreds of internet fraud companies in Myawaddy, forcing these companies to relocate to Yangon. Subsequently, the junta's Border Guard Force stronghold was attacked by militants from Karen National Union (KNU) and its affiliates. KNU is an ethnic armed organization that controls parts of Kayin State. Many KK Park scam operations were suspended during the attack.
On 7 June 2023, Thai authorities announced that they have stopped power supply to KK Park and Shwe Kokko because Myanmar military junta did not renew the power supply contract.

## Activities

The KK Park project is said to be jointly established by the KNU and Chinese companies affiliated with triad leader Wan Kuok-koi. The KNU has been under pressure over its alleged involvement in KK Park and other illegal activities, and has faced demands for the resignation of some of its senior members. Former workers identified soldiers of the Myanmar Border Guard Forces as being present in the complex.
Workers from across Southeast Asia have been coerced into performing online scams, including cryptocurrency investment, and enduring torture and unlawful imprisonment. A 2024 investigation by German state-owned broadcaster Deutsche Welle found that workers at KK Park are subjected to 17-hour workdays and are frequently spied on, tortured, and threatened with murder when attempting to flee the compound. Passports and cell phones of workers were confiscated to prevent unmonitored communication with the outside world. The complex includes supermarkets, hospital, restaurants and hotels to form a closed community. Illegal organ harvesting was also reported to take place inside KK Park. KK Park victims could only leave by paying a "contract termination" fee which is calculated by the inflated cost of transportation and how much money the victims earned for the scam companies. Victims often had to borrow from family members and friends to pay this fee.
A representative of the USIP stated that there are at least 20,000 scam workers in KK Park and a similar park in Shwe Kokko as of July 2023.
The KNU has announced that it will investigate five of its members accused of having connections with KK Park, and that it will cooperate with China and Thailand to rid the border area of crime. The area where KK Park was built on is a focus region for Chinese government's Belt and Road Initiative, though the Chinese government later distanced itself from the complex following widespread fraud.
A 2025 Wired (magazine) report identified KK Park as active and noted that Starlink now played a key role in providing internet connectivity.

## Reactions
### International communities

* Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and China have committed to combat organized crime's illegal casino operations, human trafficking and fraud activities through increasing preventive measures, victim identification and protection, and improving criminal investigation and judicial coordination.
* India: In 2023, the Indian embassy in Yangon requested Myanmar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for assistance in rescuing and repatriating Indian nationals who were trafficked into KK Park. The Ministry of External Affairs tracked and identified fake job recruitment agents within India.
* Thailand: Thai government terminated power supply to KK Park and Shwe Kokko area to dampen the criminal activities in this region.
* United States: The US government noted in the 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report that the Myanmar government did not effectively address the continued expansion of the human trafficking operation for the internet scam companies. The US government criticized the junta government that it made negligible efforts towards victim identification, protection and prevention. US government also noted that while the junta government has updated the legislation on anti-trafficking and that sentencing for the human traffickers was stringent, the law enforcement and prosecution efforts has decreased in areas that are managed by various ethnic armed organizations.