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At a conference on January 19 in Langkawi, Malaysia, ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) pledged to intensify efforts to combat illegal online gambling and cybercrime. The meeting, chaired by Malaysian Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, saw a commitment to addressing these issues, which have surged since the Covid-19 pandemic. Beijing has also offered its assistance in the fight against these transnational crimes.
Illegal online gambling has flourished across Southeast Asia, largely targeting the Chinese mainland, where gambling is prohibited. In a statement, ASEAN officials reaffirmed their determination to combat transnational crime, declaring: “We reaffirmed our collective resolve to combat transnational crime, including people smuggling, trafficking in persons, drug trafficking, cybercrime, money laundering, and the growing threat of online scams.”
The organization has created a working group to investigate money laundering and established a computer emergency response team (CERT) based in Singapore. ASEAN members have agreed to share CERT-related information to enhance their capacity to identify and neutralize online threats effectively.
A 2024 report from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC, highlighted the risks associated with online gambling. According to the report, online gambling “poses severe risks to individual (ASEAN) countries and Southeast Asia overall,” citing the transnational nature of these operations, lax national governance, and a fragmented regulatory environment within ASEAN as contributing factors.
Even government-regulated online gambling operations have faced issues, as evidenced by the Philippines’ experience with Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs). Former President Rodrigo Duterte encouraged POGOs in 2016 as a post-Covid revenue source, but they soon became hubs for cyber fraud, online scams, kidnapping, and torture. Philippine Senator Risa Hontiveros described the situation as turning the country into “a playground” for “criminal activities.” In July 2023, Duterte’s successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., banned POGOs outright.
The rise of illegal online gambling has also turned Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos into centers of online scam operations. Many of these operations rely on trafficked workers who are deceived by fraudulent job advertisements and transported illegally to work in scam compounds. According to the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), these workers live in “prison-like conditions” and are forced to run online romance and investment scams. Workers freed from Philippine POGOs reported facing severe physical abuse if they failed to meet quotas.
Victims are not limited to the trafficked workers. Those targeted by scams also face significant financial harm. In Myanmar, active scam compounds are reportedly protected by the military or its proxies. In Cambodia, vacant casinos and hotels left by the Covid-19 pandemic have been repurposed into boiler rooms for scams. In Laos, criminal operators have exploited special economic zones, such as those in the infamous Golden Triangle.
China has offered to assist ASEAN in tackling these crimes. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized the need for decisive action, stating that ASEAN countries must “decisively tackle these crimes,” according to the New Straits Times. Minister Mohamad, in preliminary talks with Wang, expressed optimism about collaboration, saying, “We touched on how best we can strengthen the ASEAN family. Looking at the current geopolitical and geoeconomic situation around the world, I believe it would be a missed opportunity if ASEAN doesn’t come together.”
ASEAN currently includes ten member states: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam. Timor-Leste has applied to join as the organization’s 11th member.
By fLEXI tEAM
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