Over 6,000 individuals involved in online gambling have been arrested, rescued, or detained in Myawaddy Township, Karen State, with authorities facing significant challenges due to delays in their transfer. 

Maj Saw Tin Win, commander of the BGF No-2 Military Region, highlighted that the Karen State Border Guard Force is actively conducting a clearance operation in the Shwe Koko and KK Park areas to dismantle the smuggling network. However, the delay in transferring those detained is causing serious logistical issues.

"The difficulties we are facing are numerous," Maj Saw Tin Win said. "Managing food, shelter, water, electricity, and healthcare for such a large number are extremely challenging. How will we feed six or seven thousand people when we are struggling to provide for even four or five hundred? This is a critical issue, and we need to resolve it quickly. Right now, only around 700 people are available to assist in the transfer, but the number of people to be transferred is much higher. Who will take responsibility for this?" he added.

The situation is becoming increasingly urgent as the number of people detained continues to rise. He urged that the transfer process needs to be expedited, suggesting that ideally, 1,000 individuals should be transferred daily to avoid further complications.

On February 25, 2019, the new Sakapru Hospital was inaugurated in Thit Kat San Pya village, north of Myawaddy, as part of ongoing efforts to improve infrastructure in the region.

Myanmar government officials are working diligently to facilitate the transfer of detainees through a systematic inspection process. However, there are still significant hurdles, particularly with the delay in receiving cooperation from other involved parties. "The inspections are ongoing daily, but the main issue is the pace of the transfer," he stated. "If the transfer takes too long, who will take responsibility? Will Thailand or China step in? This situation is becoming unmanageable."

Authorities in Myawaddy are holding the detained online gambling workers, as well as victims of the operation, in two separate locations. Thailand, which is eager to resolve the issue, must expedite the acceptance of the detainees to ensure the successful resolution of the situation.