Behind the Scam Cities: Armed Brokerage in the Myanmar–Thai Borderland

This article examines local and national power dynamics that have enabled the proliferation of online scamming in the Myanmar–Thailand border region following the 2021 Myanmar military coup. Focusing on underlying politico-economic conditions, it analyzes how scam cities along the border have flourished despite an intensifying civil war and international scrutiny. The study highlights the role of the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF), a militia which was ostensibly under the control of the Myanmar military, in facilitating transnational organized crime. The article argues that the BGF’s armed brokerage, sustained by its ability to mediate between the military/state, Karen National Union, and local populations, has created ideal conditions for transnational organized crime to thrive, culminating in the rise of scam cities. By focusing on the role of armed brokers in contested liminal spaces, this study contributes to broader debates on the political economy that underpins the spread of transnational organized crime, both in Southeast Asia and globally. The article challenges the conventional perspective that links illicit economic activities with the weakness of states or political disorder, arguing instead that these are a result of a state building strategy that relies on armed brokers in peripheral regions.