Dept. of Corrections clarifies detention of gambling tycoon "She Zhijiang" following laws

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2025
Dept. of Corrections clarifies detention of gambling tycoon "She Zhijiang" following laws

The Department of Corrections addressed the allegations made by She Zhijiang, the gambling tycoon of Shwe Kokko in Myanmar, who claimed he was subjected to inhumane treatment in a Thai prison.

Following reports that China-born She Zhijiang, who holds Cambodian citizenship, was being held in solitary confinement in a Thai prison, chained, denied medical treatment, subjected to particularly inhumane treatment, and made a victim of human rights violations, the Department of Corrections issued a statement on Tuesday (January 28, 2025).

The case involving She Zhijiang, the gambling tycoon from Shwe Kokko city in Myawaddy, Karen State, Myanmar, emerged after Chinese authorities sought his extradition due to his ownership of a project, which was later found to house call-centres and online gambling operations. As the crimes took place outside of Thailand, She was issued an arrest warrant by China.

Chinese authorities view the case as significant, citing fraud amounting to tens of billions of baht and numerous victims. Initially, the lower court ruled on the extradition, but She filed an appeal. During this period, Cambodian authorities also requested his extradition. The matter is now pending a decision from the appellate court.

The Department stated that Klong Prem Central Prison received She from Bangkok Remand Prison on October 9, 2024. He was charged with operating an illegal casino under the Criminal Code of China. The transfer occurred due to concerns over his untrustworthy behaviour, significant financial influence, and ongoing extradition proceedings.

Since his transfer, the prison has not placed She in solitary confinement but has separated him for his safety and to prevent harm or any actions that could pose a danger to him.

The claim that She was chained arose after he violated prison regulations by "defying prison officers and attempting to assault them." The prison stated that the chains would be removed if She showed improved behaviour and adhered to prison rules. The chains were officially removed on December 3, 2024.

Regarding the claim of being denied medical treatment, She has received regular care from physicians at the Correctional Hospital and has participated in physical rehabilitation programs three times a week.

As for the allegation of being denied family visits, She has been allowed daily communication with his lawyer during working days and has been able to send and receive correspondence through both online and traditional mail services.

In response to the claim that Chinese officials visited the prison against his will, the Department confirmed receiving a request from the Embassy of China in Thailand to meet with She. The meeting was intended to inquire about his well-being and discuss his consent for extradition, which would benefit him.

The Department emphasized that it follows standard operating procedures (SOPs) for managing all inmates, in accordance with legal regulations, rules, and international standards. The treatment of prisoners adheres strictly to the United Nations' minimum standards for the treatment of prisoners and human rights principles.

From the perspective of the Department of Corrections, this prisoner must be treated with special care to avoid dissatisfaction that could lead to accusations against officials, stated Justice Minister Thawee Sodsong.

Dept. of Corrections clarifies detention of gambling tycoon \"She Zhijiang\" following laws

"Although Thai prisons may be overcrowded when it comes to human rights, we have CCTV monitoring all movements 24/7. I will ensure the CCTV footage is reviewed," Thawee stated.

Reuters reported on 26 January that She received "inhumane treatment" in a Thai prison after saying he was a Chinese spy, his lawyers have told Interpol, saying they fear for his life.

China-born She has suffered violence that has left him unable to stand and has received unwanted visits from Chinese officials, the lawyers said in a letter to the international police organisation, seen by Reuters.

The tycoon was arrested in Bangkok in 2022 on an international warrant and an Interpol red notice sought by Beijing. She and his lawyers have said the case is politically motivated.

In their letter to Interpol, dated January 9 , the lawyers said he has been kept in solitary confinement, chained, denied medical treatment for a spinal injury and denied contact with his family.

The tycoon has been subjected to "particularly inhumane treatment" and human rights violations of an "institutional nature", wrote the lawyers, Clara Gerard-Rodriguez and Pierre-Olivier Sur of the France-based firm FTMS Avocats.

China's Foreign Ministry told Reuters in a statement that She was a Chinese national and a "key figure in online gambling and telecom fraud crimes", saying the evidence against him was "conclusive".

The tycoon said last year that his detention followed his refusal to obey orders from Chinese authorities, who he said had instructed him to develop a town on the Thai-Myanmar border.

"They wanted a colony. I wanted to do business," She told the Al Jazeera network in a documentary broadcast on Sept. 26.

China has stepped up pressure on Southeast Asian nations to crack down on Chinese-origin gambling and fraud gangs since the abduction and cross-border rescue of a Chinese actor this month triggered a social media firestorm.

The region in recent years has become a magnet for gambling operations, some involving fraud and human trafficking by criminal syndicates, many of which are of Chinese origin.

Days after the Al Jazeera documentary aired, She was transferred to a maximum security prison in Bangkok that holds people serving long sentences and on death row, his lawyers said.

In late October, the lawyers said, She was "brutally tackled" by officers and inmates who accused him of violating discipline. Unable to walk or stand, he now uses a wheelchair, they said. The incident was also described in a police report seen by Reuters.

Twice in December, the lawyers said, Chinese embassy officials visited She in prison against his will, seeking to persuade him to return to China. In one meeting, they said, the officials suggested his family and friends might need help from the embassy, which he interpreted as a threat.

At the time of his arrest, She headed a gambling empire that developed a $15 billion casino, entertainment and tourism complex called Shwe Kokko on the Myanmar-Thai border. The group, Yatai International Holdings Group, also had investments in Cambodia and the Philippines.

The company has denied involvement in any criminal activities, including human trafficking.

She told Al Jazeera he was recruited in the Philippines by China's Ministry of State Security, the main agency overseeing foreign intelligence, in exchange for the dropping of a criminal case against him.

She said he had worked alongside a former Philippine mayor, Alice Guo, also known as Chinese national Guo Hua Ping. She was removed from office for misconduct and investigated by the Philippine Senate last year for potential ties to offshore gambling operations targeting Chinese clients.

Guo, facing graft and money laundering charges, has denied being a Chinese spy and rejected other accusations as malicious.

Thailand Web Stat