Four bodies believed to be cyber scam workers who were shot by the military junta and later drowned in the Gyaing River have been found, but no one has come forward to recover them, according to local residents living along the river.
The incident occurred on December 9 in Hpa-An Township, Karen State. At around 3 a.m., a group of Chinese nationals were travelling by three motorboats across the Gyaing River from Khayar Apyin village to the opposite bank near Kawkbine village.
When the boats were stopped for inspection by military junta forces, one of the boats fled without complying. Junta troops then opened fire on the fleeing boat.
As a result of the shooting, four cyber scam workers and one local boat driver were injured and fell into the river, where they were later swept away by the current.
Local residents said one body was found floating on December 12, followed by three more bodies on December 13. However, the bodies have not been recovered to this day.
“The bodies are stuck along the riverbanks near Khayar Apyin and Kawkbine villages. Because of the rising and falling water levels, they move back and forth. Fishermen first saw them, but the bodies are badly decomposed and smell very bad, so no one dares to touch them,” said a male resident from Khayar Apyin village.
He added that because the bodies are believed to be cyber scam workers, no one is willing to retrieve them. When bodies drift toward farms or gardens, villagers reportedly push them back into the river using poles.
According to locals, the four bodies are believed to be men around 30 years old and may be Chinese nationals based on their facial features.
Meanwhile, the body of the local boat driver has not been found. Residents believe he may not have been shot and could have escaped by swimming to safety.
“So far, the boat driver’s body has not been found. If he had died, his family would definitely be searching for him. Local people here are good swimmers, and since it was very dark at night, he may have managed to escape to another place,” the resident said.
Currently, military junta forces are patrolling crossing points along the Gyaing River and carrying out clearance operations in plantation and garden areas near Khayar Apyin and Kawkbine villages, where cyber scam workers are believed to be hiding.
Sources also said that eight Chinese nationals arrested from two motorboats, along with equipment linked to cyber scam operations, are being held at Infantry Battalion 81 in Hpa-An Township.
Following intensified crackdowns on cyber scam operations around the Shwe Kokko area in Myawaddy, many cyber scam workers have reportedly fled into Hpa-An Township and are attempting to travel onward to Mawlamyine and the Three Pagodas Pass area through various routes.
In addition, more than 600 cyber scam workers were arrested in Kyaikto, Bilin, Thaton, and Paung townships in Mon State’s Thaton District in late November. After being held for around two weeks, they were released on December 6.
