Description
In Southeast Asia's expanding digital economy, online scams have emerged as significant socio-political disruptors, especially in Myanmar. This study investigates their role as unconventional tools of bargaining in political negotiations between China and Myanmar. Utilising game theory, the analysis delves into the dynamic multi-agent two-level bargaining interactions across state-to-state, regional-to-central government, and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) to both levels of government Drawing on a blend of open access data and robust interview data collected from the China-Myanmar borderland between 2022-2023, the research applies a process-based framework. This framework reveals a pivotal shift in bargaining power from state-centric to a complex web involving non-state actors. It identifies four evolutionary stages, detailing how involvement in online scams is strategically manipulated by diverse actors to strengthen their political leverage. This transition highlights the exploitation of online scams in recalibrating power dynamics and negotiating positions, reflecting a broader redefinition of bargaining power in the face of emerging digital threats. The research offers insights into the intersection of digital crime and international relations, accentuating the evolving nature of power in Southeast Asian political negotiations, and embedding domestic political tensions into international interactions.
