Myawaddy Launches ‘Crackdown’ on Sex Trade as HIV Infections Surge
Authorities in Karen State’s Myawaddy have arrested dozens of alleged sex workers and sentenced them to prison terms, citing concerns over rising HIV infections along the Myanmar–Thailand border, residents told The Irrawaddy.
The crackdown followed remarks last month by Karen State Security and Border Affairs Minister Colonel Soe Moe Win, who told the state parliament that sex work would be eliminated to control HIV transmission.
On August 13, police raided two brothels on Pyi Thayar Street in Ward No. 4, arresting 32 women and four men. Days later, the women were sentenced to three years and the men to five years.
Residents said the raids appeared staged. “The arrests were made just for show in response to widespread reports about high rate of HIV infections in Myawaddy. And they announced the crackdown in advance,” one local said.
No. 4 Ward alone hosts at least 10 brothels, according to locals, but the two targeted had been closed since Soe Moe Win announced the crackdown. Police arrested the suspects from nearby houses where they were taking shelter.
Myawaddy, a notorious hub for cross-border crime syndicates, hosts around 60 brothels, more than 40 massage parlors, and at least 16 karaoke (KTV) venues. Health groups warn that HIV infections are rising by the dozens each month, creating a serious public health risk.
Residents said sex businesses are controlled by the military and allied armed groups, with operators paying protection fees in the tens of millions of kyats. Prostitution is illegal in Myanmar.
“All these places are about sex. The only difference is how much money they charge for the services,” said one resident close to the armed groups.
Local health workers said that jailing a handful of sex workers would neither reduce the trade nor control HIV. Effective prevention requires regular medical checks and access to health care at brothels, KTVs, and massage parlors, they added.
“If health teams were allowed inside, they could test blood, provide treatment, and administer injections when needed. Without cooperation, these crackdowns achieve nothing,” one health official said.
Myawaddy authorities have conducted 14 HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns in cooperation with local organizations this year, but civil society groups say more is urgently needed.
Lawyer and border affairs observer Saw Ba Oo Lay said the crackdown was cosmetic: “They only target low‑level workers. If they were serious, they would raid the KTVs inside Myawaddy’s golf course, where sex services are rampant. As long as the military and its allied Border Guard Force, Democratic Karen Benevolent Army, and KNLA-PC run these illegal businesses, nothing will change.”
According to Myawaddy District Health Department records, the number of people receiving HIV/AIDS treatment has steadily increased: 1,688 in 2024, 2,055 in 2025, and 2,419 in 2026.
