The European Union imposed sanctions on Myanmar’s Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) and five of its senior figures on 30 July, accusing the armed group of protecting large-scale online scam compounds around Myawaddy and enabling organised criminal networks to operate in areas under its control.
Geographic Reference
The five sanctioned DKBA figures are chief of staff Saw San Aung, Major General Sai Kyaw Hla, former commander-in-chief Saw Steel, adjutant-general Saw Sein Win, and Colonel Saw Eh Le Htoo, according to the accompanying EU legal decision. The two other individuals sanctioned in the same action are Cambodia-based conglomerate chairmen Chen Zhi and Zhu Zhongbiao.
The EU said the DKBA allowed scam compounds to operate under its protection, provided security for the facilities and benefited from revenue generated by their criminal activities. The legal decision specifically named the Tai Chang compound and identified Saw Eh Le Htoo as the reported operator of Deeko Park, another scam compound south of Myawaddy.
The Council also said DKBA soldiers had been reported to participate in violence against trafficking victims, including the beating of people who were handcuffed. Victims inside the compounds were trafficked or recruited under false pretences, held against their will and forced to carry out online scams targeting people around the world, according to the EU.
The sanctions freeze any assets belonging to the listed individuals and entities within EU jurisdiction. EU citizens and companies are prohibited from providing them with funds or economic resources, while the five individuals are also subject to travel bans preventing them from entering or transiting through EU territory.
The DKBA had previously been sanctioned by the United States on 12 November 2025, together with four senior leaders: Saw Steel, Saw Sein Win, Saw San Aung and Sai Kyaw Hla. The US Treasury accused the group of protecting the Tai Chang scam compound, which it said was founded by Sai Kyaw Hla and a Thailand-based company acting as a front for Chinese organised crime groups.
The DKBA has denied profiting from or assisting online scam operations. In a statement issued after the US sanctions, the group said it would take action against people transporting foreign nationals through territory under its control.
Mizzima