Shwe Kokko

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Shwe Kokko
Shwe Kokko is located in Myanmar
Shwe Kokko
Shwe Kokko
Location in Myanmar
Coordinates: 16°49′13.7″N 98°31′51.3″E / 16.820472°N 98.530917°E / 16.820472; 98.530917Coordinates: 16°49′13.7″N 98°31′51.3″E / 16.820472°N 98.530917°E / 16.820472; 98.530917
Country Myanmar
StateKayin State Karen State
DistrictMyawaddy District
TownshipMyawaddy Township
Population
 • Religions
Buddhism and Christianity
Time zoneUTC+6.30 (MST)

Shwe Kokko Myaing (Burmese: ရွှေကုက္ကိုမြိုင်; lit. 'golden raintree forest'),[1] commonly known as Shwe Kokko (Burmese: 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).[2] The village is 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Myawaddy.[3] Shwe Kokko is home to the headquarters of the Kayin Border Guard Force (BGF).[4]

Shwe Kokko New City project[]

Shwe Kokko is home to Shwe Kokko New City (Burmese: ရွှေကုက္ကိုမြိုင်မြို့သစ်စီမံကိန်း; Chinese: 水沟谷经济特区; pinyin: Shuǐgōugǔ Jīngjìtèqū), 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.[5] 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.[6]

The US$15 billiondevelopment 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.[6]

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.[1] China's government distanced itself from the project; in October 2020, China's ambassador to Myanmar, Chen Hai, clarified this project was not pat of the Belt and Road Initiative.[7]

Allegations of Chinese settlers' colony[]

As of June 2020, the Burmese government has established a national tribunal to investigate irregularities surrounding this development project.[8] The project was driven by Chinese investors forced to leave Sihanoukville, following a Cambodian crackdown on illegal casino activities.[9] Multiple casinos began illegal operations in Shwe Kokko in 2019.[7]

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.[10][9] Construction commenced in 2017 despite the lack of government approval from the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) for the entire project, which will cover over 180,000 acres (73,000 ha).[11][5] 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.[1] The project has also utilized thousands of Chinese workers, despite claims that it would generate job opportunities for locals.[3]

Remarks[]

  1. ^ a b c Gambling Away Our Lands: Naypyidaw’s "Battlefields to Casinos" Strategy in Shwe Kokko (PDF). Karen Peace Support Network. 2020.
  2. ^ "Shwe Koke Ko". Google Map. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  3. ^ a b Han, Naw Betty. "How the Kayin BGF's business interests put Myanmar at risk of COVID-19". Frontier Myanmar. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  4. ^ Han, Naw Betty. "The business of the Kayin State Border Guard Force". Frontier Myanmar. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  5. ^ a b Han, Naw Betty. "Shwe Kokko: A paradise for Chinese investment". Frontier Myanmar. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  6. ^ a b "Chinese Mega-Project in Myanmar's Kayin State Sparks Resentment And Worry". RFA. 2019-11-13.
  7. ^ a b "Myanmar to probe casinos in China-backed developer's 'rogue city'". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 2020-12-07.
  8. ^ Lwin, Nan (2020-06-16). "Myanmar Govt to Probe Contentious Chinese Development on Thai Border". The Irrawaddy. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  9. ^ a b Tower, Jason; Clapp, Priscilla A. (2020-04-20). "Chinese Crime Networks Partner with Myanmar Armed Groups". United States Institute of Peace. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  10. ^ "New city project by Chinese firm raises hackles in Kayin". The Myanmar Times. 2018-09-18. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  11. ^ "Shwe Koko: Big Winners - Burma Army and international Crime Syndicates at Expense of Karen People – KNU, Community Groups Want it Stopped". Karen News. 2020-03-26. Retrieved 2020-06-19.


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