The awe-inspiring sight of the tall, gleaming buildings amidst the cornfields on Myanmar's side of the Moei River can be disorienting, making one doubt its reality. In the past, Karen State was barren, characterized by trees, roughly constructed cement buildings, and a longstanding civil war that has plagued Myanmar, rendering it among the world's most impoverished regions. In contrast, today a city named Shwe Kokko, or Golden Raintree, has blossomed along the Thai border, alleged to be founded on fraudulent practices like money laundering and human trafficking, with its creator She Zhijiang currently detained in Bangkok awaiting extradition to China.
Yatai, She Zhijiang's company behind the city's construction, portrays Shwe Kokko differently in promotional materials, depicting it as an elegant resort city and secure destination catering to Chinese tourists and the affluent, trying to dispel its shady image. However, the reality of Shwe Kokko underscores the unchecked ambition stemming from China in recent years, with She Zhijiang attempting to carve a new status for himself away from the seedy world of scams and gambling that once defined his life.
Despite efforts to rebrand Shwe Kokko and showcase its progress, the city is struggling in post-coup Myanmar, beset by conflict and lacking the necessary influx of investments and visitors to sustain its operations. Criticism and scrutiny have intensified, with doubts persisting about the eradication of fraudulent activities within the city and concerns about its sustainable economic model beyond scams.