Shwe Kokko

Shwe Kokko Myaing ( my, ရွှေကုက္ကိုမြိုင်; ), commonly known as Shwe Kokko ( my, ရွှေကုက္ကို), is a village in Myawaddy Township in Myawaddy District in the Kayin State of south-east Myanmar. Shwe Kokko lies on the left (western) bank, opposite site of Thailand by the Moei River (Thaungyin River). The village is north of Myawaddy. Shwe Kokko is home to the headquarters of the Kayin Border Guard Force (BGF). As of May 2022, 1,225 Chinese nationals were legally residing in Shwe Kokko, and thousands of illegal Chinese workers migrate to the village for work.

Shwe Kokko is a Chinese organized crime hub due to the Burmese government's limited reach and oversight in this border area. Shwe Kokko is the destination of many Asian human trafficking victims (from countries such as Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and India ) who have reported being forced to work in Shwe Kokko in Chinese-run online scam operations, lured by the prospect of romance and well-paying jobs. In September 2022, over 300 Indian nationals were reported to be held hostage in Shwe Kokko.

Shwe Kokko New City project

Shwe Kokko is home to Shwe Kokko New City (; ), a mega-project under construction as a partnership between Chit Lin Myaing Company and Yatai International Holdings Group (Yatai IHG), which is a Chinese-owned regional online gambling operation. Chit Lin Myaing is owned by the Kayin State Border Guard Force, and will receive 30% of profits from this development, with the remainder of profits going to Yatai.

The US$15 billion development will serve as a playground for Chinese gamblers near the Burmese-Thai border, and will eventually include casinos, luxury villas, an entertainment complex, supermarkets, department stores, a police station, an airport, cargo depots, a 1,200-room hotel, an industrial zone, and a wildlife sanctuary.

Despite claiming to be a special economic zone (SEZ), Shwe Kokko is not an officially sanctioned SEZ, which are established in accordance with Myanmar's SEZ laws. China's government distanced itself from the project; in October 2020, China's ambassador to Myanmar, Chen Hai, clarified this project was not part of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Allegations of Chinese settlers' colony

As of June 2020, the Burmese government has established a national tribunal to investigate irregularities surrounding this development project. The project was driven by Chinese investors forced to leave Sihanoukville, following a Cambodian crackdown on illegal casino activities. Multiple casinos began illegal operations in Shwe Kokko in 2019.

The project has been the subject of significant controversy, owing to concerns over the absence of official approval, illegal land confiscations, plans to build a casino, criminal activities, money laundering, and local sentiment. Construction commenced in 2017 despite the lack of government approval from the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) for the entire project, which will cover over . MIC had only granted permission for the construction of 59 luxury villas on 22.5 acres of land, but the actual construction has far outpaced the permitted development. The project has also utilized thousands of Chinese workers, despite claims that it would generate job opportunities for locals.

Remarks

Populated places in Kayin State

{{Kayin-geo-stub