Burmese politician (born 1950)
Bai Suocheng
In office 31 January 2011 – 29 January 2016Preceded by Constituency established Constituency Laukkai Constituency No.2In office 20 August 2010 – April 2016Deputy Ming Xuechang Preceded by position created Succeeded by Zhao Dechen[ 1] In office 24 August 2009 – 20 August 2010Deputy Liu Gaoxi[ 2] Preceded by Pheung Kya-shin (chairman) Succeeded by as the head of KSZ
Born (1950-04-01 ) 1 April 1950 (age 74) Hon Aik, Kokang , Burma Political party USDP Other political affiliations Children 2 sons and 4 daughters (including Bai Yingneng (Khin Maung Lwin), Bai Yingcang (Khin Maung Win), Bai Yingxiang, Bai Yinglan) Allegiance Years of service 1967–2024
Bai Suocheng or Bai Xuoqian (Chinese : 白所成 ; pinyin : Bái Suǒchéng ; Burmese : ပယ်ဆောက်ချိန် ; born 1 April 1950) is a Kokang politician from Shan State , Myanmar . He was a former deputy commander of the Myanmar Nationalities Democratic Alliance Army who later became the MP of the Amyotha Hluttaw representing Laukkai and first leader of the Kokang Self-Administered Zone . In 2024 he was extradited to China for running online and telephone scam centres .[ 3]
Career
Bai Suocheng was a deputy commander of the Myanmar Nationalities Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) who assisted Pheung Kya-shin in ousting Yang Mao-liang from the leadership in 1992. He later tried to replace Pheung himself with the support of Myanmar's government.[ 4] [ 5] Bai allied himself with the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Armed Forces) to oust Pheung during the three-day Kokang incident in 2009. Remnants of the MNDAA were reorganized into Border Guard Force #1006 under Bai's supervision afterwards.[ 6]
Bai was elected as an MP of the Amyotha Hluttaw representing Laukkai Constituency No. 2.[ 7] during the 2010 general election . Bai's agreement led to the formation of the Kokang Self-Administered Zone on 20 August 2010 where Bai would become its the first head of the Kokang Self-Administered Zone .[ 8] [ 9]
Under his rule, the region became known for drugs and weapons trafficking.[ 8] Bai was not very popular and survived an assassination attempt in March 2012.[ 10] Bai's deputy, Liu Gaoxi, was elected in the same general election in 2010, and was known for his involvement with drugs trafficking.[ 11] Bai Suocheng, his children and his associates dominated a multi-billion-dollar hotel and casino business empire, including online gambling operations. These businesses extend to Karen State and internationally to Sihanoukville , Cambodia. Chinese court records have heard multiple cases involving the Bai and Liu family's companies relating to gambling, smuggling and kidnapping from Kokang hotels and casinos.[ 12]
On 10 December 2023, China issued a warrant for him.[ 13] [ 14] [ 15] He was later arrested by Burmese authorities, which transferred him along with other nine people, including his son Bai Yingcang, to China on 30 January 2024.[ 16] [ 17]
See also
References
^ "赵德强担任果敢自治区领导委员会主席" (in Chinese). Kokang News. Archived from the original on 2016-04-19. Retrieved 2016-04-10 .
^ "自治区领导委员会率地区各级机关单位、部门共同吊唁刘国玺老领导" . website of Kokang Self-Administered Zone (in Chinese). 2020-01-17. Archived from the original on 2023-11-15.
^ Hawkins, Amy (31 January 2024). "Myanmar hands over junta-backed warlords to China in telecoms scam case" . The Guardian .
^ Strangio, Sebastian (30 October 2023). "Myanmar Ethnic Armies Launch Major Offensive in Shan State" . The Diplomat .
^ Shanhe, Qiu. "Interview on Kokang" . www.shanland.org . Archived from the original on 24 February 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015 .
^ "Why civil war in northern Myanmar matters to China" . wantchinatimes.com/ . Archived from the original on 24 February 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015 .
^ Zin Linn. "Does the junta use drugs as a weapon in Burma's politics?" . asiancorrespondent.com/ . Archived from the original on 23 July 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2015 .
^ a b "Tens of thousands flee war, airstrikes in Kokang region" . reliefweb.int/r . Democratic Voice of Burma. Retrieved 24 February 2015 .
^ Tower, Jason; Clapp, Priscilla (26 January 2021). "Myanmar: Army Moves Against Chinese Crime Groups in Autonomous Zones" . United States Institute of Peace .
^ "Bai Xuoqian, head of the Kokang Self-Administered" . www.shanland.org . Shan Herald. Archived from the original on 24 February 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015 .
^ Skehan, Craig. "Heroin traffickers elected in Burma" . flarenetwork.org/ . Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 24 February 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015 .
^ Clapp, Priscilla ; Tower, Jason (27 August 2021). "Myanmar Regional Crime Webs Enjoy Post-Coup Resurgence: The Kokang Story" . United States Institute of Peace .
^ "China issues arrest warrants, offers rewards for 10 leaders of telecom fraud gangs in Myanmar" . China Daily . 10 December 2023.
^ "公安机关公开通缉白所成、魏怀仁、刘正祥等10名缅北果敢自治区电信网络诈骗犯罪集团重要头目" . People's Daily (in Simplified Chinese). 10 December 2023.
^ "ကိုးကန့်အုပ်ချုပ်ရေးမှူးဟောင်း အပါအဝင် ဆယ်ဦးကို တရုတ် ဖမ်းဝရမ်းထုတ်" (in Burmese). RFA Burmese. 2023-12-10.
^ "Myanmar arrests alleged Chinese scammers, former MP" . Radio Free Asia . 31 January 2024.
^ "白所成等10名缅北重大犯罪嫌疑人被成功押解回国" . China News (in Simplified Chinese). 30 January 2024.