The lucrative scamming industry is of strategic interest to the Myanmar military and associated forces to fund their war on the Myanmar people, with Myanmar becoming a significant hub for transnational crime in the wake of the 2021 military coup. The Myanmar military has played a crucial role in establishing criminal enclaves along its borders, particularly in Karen State along the Thai border and in the Kokang area along the Chinese border.

The monthly average of Myanmar military airstrikes now exceeds 100, and this trend is expected to rise. The impact of airstrikes has been devastating, terrorising civilians by targeting schools, hospitals, religious buildings, and camps for internally displaced persons.

We are pleased to share the news that Sithar Chhim, President of the Labor Rights Supported Union (LRSU), representing workers at NagaWorld casino in Cambodia, has been released from prison. Sithar was detained in November 2022 after returning to Cambodia from the ITUC World Congress in Melbourne.

Journalists Myo Myint Oo and Aung San Oo, associated with the independent online media outlet Dawei Watch, were sentenced to life and 20 years imprisonment respectively by a military court in the city of Myeik in southern Myanmar on August 27, with authorities failing to explain the verdict.

Seven years after Myanmar military unleashed brutal “clearance operations” against the Rohingya people, survivors in Rakhine State are threatened by another wave of genocide. The Myanmar Campaign Network is calling on the Australian Government to take decisive steps to address this ongoing crisis.

The global humanitarian situation is in crisis. 2023 was marked as the deadliest year for humanitarian workers and the most violent since World War II, while 2024 continues this trend with over 55 armed conflicts. On this day, it is crucial to address this deepening crisis of violence by redoubling our efforts in solidarity, social organization, and internationalism — key actions that enable us to confront global injustices.