Shwe Kokko

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

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 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.[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]

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. 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. 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. Han, Naw Betty. "Shwe Kokko: A paradise for Chinese investment". Frontier Myanmar. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  6. "Chinese Mega-Project in Myanmar's Kayin State Sparks Resentment And Worry". RFA. 2019-11-13.
  7. "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. 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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