Myanmar’s military junta has arrested Major General Myint Kyaw Tun, commander of the Northeastern Region Military Command, along with two colonels and one lieutenant colonel, following a tip from the Chinese government that linked them to online scam operations.
The arrested officers are under investigation in Naypyidaw, according to Captain Zin Yaw, a member of the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM).
The detained officers include Major General Myint Kyaw Tun, Colonel Tun Naing Soe (Chief of Staff of the Northeastern Region Military Command), Colonel Tun Tin (Tangyan Tactical Operation Commander), and Lieutenant Colonel Myat Maw Aung (Mongyai Tactical Operation Commander).
“According to sources, they were definitely arrested based on a list provided by China,” Captain Zin Yaw stated.
The arrests occurred on February 21 during a cadet graduation ceremony at the Military Academy (Ba Htoo) in southern Shan State, where junta leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing was present. The event was also attended by commanders of other regional military commands. However, the military council has yet to officially confirm the arrests or provide an update on the officers’ status.
Brigadier General Aye Min Oo, previously the principal of the Pyin Oo Lwin Military Academy of Technology, has been appointed to replace Major General Myint Kyaw Tun as commander of the Northeastern Region Military Command. The other three officers remain under investigation.
“These four will be interrogated. If this happens, they will disclose. They will reveal again. They will point out who are also involved in online scams and reveal who are also offenders,” said a source close to the junta. “Many of the senior officers who served in the four commands may become suspects in a potential subsequent situation.”
In August 2024, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) seized the Northeastern Region Military Command headquarters in Lashio, capturing Major General Soe Tint. The junta restructured the command, appointing Major General Myint Kyaw Tun, who was in the role for just six months before his arrest.
Since launching Operation 1027 in October 2023, the MNDAA and its allies have targeted online scam operations in northern Shan State, capturing multiple towns. During the battle for Laukkai, the junta handed over ten individuals, including Bai Suocheng, the former leader of the Kokang Self-Administered Zone, to China in connection with online fraud.
Despite these actions, online scam operations continue in northern Shan State, particularly in Mongyai and Tangyan townships. Between February 5 and 7, the junta reported the arrest of more than 80 individuals involved in online gambling and financial fraud in Mongyai.
