Myanmar protest against Chinese illegal casino development

Hundreds of people participated on a demonstration to stop being evicted from their homes in order to left a wide space for the arrival of a huge development

Myanmar.- Hundreds of people protested in Myawaddy, near the border with Thailand, against the Kayin State Border Guard Force. They alleged they are being forced to go away from home to leave the way for a new Chinese-financed illegal casino, and the BGF is supposed to have business interests on it. 

“We don’t want to be evicted and threatened with weapons,” the demonstrators chanted as they marched through the Kayin State border town of Myawaddy.

While Myanmar did pass a gambling bill last September that allows some foreigner-only casinos activities, the existing casinos run by the Border Guard Force in Kayin state have been operating openly but illegally.

The new Myawaddy project is planned to take place along the Thaung Yin River at Shwe Kokko. The real estate development will involve a €13.6 billion investment and will include luxury villas, an entertainment complex, supermarkets, department stores, a police station, an airport, cargo depots, a 1,200-room hotel, casinos, an industrial zone, and a wildlife sanctuary. It is scheduled to be opened in 2027.