By Thai Newsroom Reporters
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER-cum-Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul commented today (Jan.30) Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has not as yet ordered him to shut off power supply to a Myanmar township where criminal rackets have thrived across the shared border from Thailand.
Anutin said he could not act on his own in regard to persistent calls for the Provincial Electricity Authority to terminate its power supply to Myanmar’s Myawaddy township across the common border from Mae Sot district of Tak in northwestern Thailand because it has been reportedly consumed daily by transnational criminals such as suspected call-centre scammers and drug dealers, among local villagers.
The cross-border power supplied by the PEA, a government agency under care of the Ministry of Interior, could be immediately shut off at any given moment only if a power termination order was flashed out by the prime minister, daughter of de facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra, according to the deputy prime minister-cum-interior minister.
Anutin, leader of the Bhumjaithai, the second largest coalition partner under de facto party boss Newin Chidchob, has earlier said he has been awaiting a formal order from any government agency in charge of national security affairs to shut off the PEA power supply to Myawaddy where these call-centre scammers have holed up.
A little-known firm under control of a Karen Border Guard Force ethnic rebel group reached a trade agreement with the PEA for the cross-border power supply.
Meanwhile, the de facto Pheu Thai boss suggested the Thai authorities strictly see to it that cell phones and SIM cards no longer be sold off in huge quantities at a time to suspected scammers whilst the PEA power supply for those in Myanmar be immediately shut off.
Thaksin said he had already held informal talks with China’s senior government officials about transnational crimes such as scammers and drug dealers who have been conniving from border areas of Myanmar, preying on many naive victims in Thailand.
He said the junta-installed government in Naypyidaw which largely relies on China would likely heed potential warnings from Beijing against the conniving, transnational crimes based in the war-torn country and launch crackdown measures.
CAPTIONS:
Top and Front Page: Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. Photos: Naewna
Insert: Deputy Prime Minister/Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. Photo:Thai Rath
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