A Chinese victim of human trafficking in Myanmar’s Tai Chang scam compound reported that the facility, known for its brutal conditions, uses Starlink internet to continue its fraudulent activities after its previous Thai connection was severed. This use of Starlink by Tai Chang, and at least seven other similar compounds in the Myawaddy region, was confirmed by mobile phone data showing thousands of Starlink connections. Despite pleas from a Santa Clara County deputy district attorney and a Thai parliamentarian, SpaceX and Elon Musk have yet to respond to requests to address this issue. The widespread adoption of Starlink by these criminal organizations highlights the potential for the technology to inadvertently facilitate large-scale fraud.
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Trump’s extension of the “national emergency” declaration for Myanmar is a complex issue with far-reaching implications. The decision, announced on a Thursday, keeps in place sanctions against the military junta, a move that has drawn both praise and condemnation. While the stated justification remains somewhat opaque, the extension undoubtedly impacts ongoing conflicts within the country, its struggling economy, and the international community’s efforts to address human rights abuses.
The ongoing instability in Myanmar, characterized by a brutal civil war and a military junta’s iron grip on power, creates a volatile environment. The country is riddled with deep-seated problems, including widespread corruption, rampant crime, and the exploitation of vulnerable populations.… Continue reading
Takeshi Ebisawa, a Yakuza leader, pleaded guilty to trafficking weapons-grade nuclear material from Myanmar, intending to sell it to fund an arms deal for a Burmese insurgent group. This illicit operation also involved the trafficking of significant quantities of heroin and methamphetamine to the United States in exchange for surface-to-air missiles. Ebisawa’s activities, spanning from 2020, involved a sting operation resulting in the seizure of weapons-grade plutonium and uranium. He faces up to 20 years in prison for his crimes.
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John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood