What uprooting northern Myanmar's 'Four Families' reveals

The documentary The Demise of Telecom Fraud in Northern Myanmar, which chronicles how China's public security authorities, in collaboration with relevant departments, thoroughly eradicated criminal groups including the "Four Families" in northern Myanmar, reveals shocking details that have made countless viewers deeply aware of the harm caused by telecom fraud and the difficulty of rooting out such evil forces.

For a long time, criminal clans such as the Ming and Wei families carved out fiefdoms in Kokang, northern Myanmar. Criminals even brazenly declared, "Just let Chinese law punish me." Taking down the "Four Families" was once considered "an impossible mission." So how did China manage to do this?

Northern Myanmar has long been plagued by telecommunications fraud. Criminals have built a vast network of telecommunications fraud operations, luring Chinese citizens into illegally crossing the border and forcing them to participate in scams through violent detention and extortion. Their actions seriously endanger the lives and property of Chinese citizens and undermine stability in the China-Myanmar border region.

Yet crossing the border does not put anyone beyond the reach of the law. Protecting people's safety knows no national boundaries. Behind the Chinese public security authorities' efforts to overcome all obstacles and crack down on crimes involving Chinese citizens across borders lies a strong resolve and unwavering conviction to protect the people's safety.

The wealth of details revealed in the documentary stretches the imagination. The task force traveled to the Kokang region five times, braving the risks of gunfire, landmines and unexploded ordnance to investigate more than 120 crime scenes and retrieve over 14,000 pieces of critical evidence. They excavated more than two metric tons of soil from crime scenes, "sifting out critical evidence smaller than a fingernail"; they entered limestone caves 60 to 70 meters deep to search for relocated computer equipment and safes in oxygen-deprived environments.

The case files totaled 1,110 volumes, with nearly 15,000 pieces of documentary and physical evidence, over 50 TB of electronic data, and the total weight of evidence reaching two metric tons. To ensure the case was irrefutable so that blood debts would be repaid in blood, the Chinese side, with a highly responsible attitude toward the people, spared no expense in uncovering the truth.

The documentary reveals that, before setting off, police officers on the mission braced themselves for the possibility of "never returning," stating that, "When the nation needs us, and the people are in danger, we will step forward!" A sense of security is the most tangible measure of public satisfaction. The police crack down resolutely on crimes the public abhors most, directing enforcement efforts wherever security threats are acute.

Regarding telecommunications and internet fraud - a scourge hated deeply by the public - the Communist Party of China Central Committee is determined to eradicate this malignant tumor. From coordinating cross-border law enforcement cooperation to continuously investing human and material resources to tackle the problem, every step embodies the commitment of "putting the people first."

The Demise of Telecom Fraud in Northern Myanmar showcases the strength of China's rule of law and the nation's capacity for action. More importantly, it demonstrates a nation's solemn commitment to its people: The state will always be the people's most solid backing, and the forces safeguarding their security will always be by their side.

Bai Yingcang, the ringleader of the Bai family criminal group, confessed upon receiving his death sentence that he "hated his own unbridled greed and short-sightedness" and "apologized to the Chinese people and the Chinese government." This confession demonstrates once again that no force that infringes upon the interests of the Chinese people should harbor any illusions of getting away with it, and that any attempt to challenge the bottom line of Chinese law will come at a price.