Anti-junta armed groups expanding territory near gas pipelines to Thailand

Anti-regime forces based in Myanmar’s Tanintharyi Region say they have been capturing territory around pipelines used to pump natural gas from offshore deposits to Thailand. The pipelines, which run from the Yadana, Yetagun, and Zawtika gas fields in the Andaman Sea and Gulf of Mottama (Martaban) through Myanmar’s Tanintharyi Region, convey millions of cubic feet of natural gas worth billions of dollars to power plants across the Thailand-Myanmar border every day. One of the pipeline’s onshore segments stretches over 40 miles through Tanintharyi Region’s Yebyu Township, carrying fuel through the village of Kan Pauk and town of Kaleinaung on the way to the border. In the four and a half years since the military seized power in a coup in Myanmar, the anti-coup resistance has consolidated its control over parts of the Thailand-Myanmar border and expanded its territory along the pipeline’s path, according to Padoh Saw Eh Na, the district secretary of the Karen National Union (KNU) for Brigade 4. The KNU is the oldest ethnic national organisation resisting control by central authorities in Myanmar, and the territory claimed by the group’s Brigade 4 includes the towns of Myeik and Dawei in Tanintharyi Region. “It used to be the military council, and now it’s the military commission,” Padoh Saw Eh Na remarked, referring to the military regime’s recent rebrand, announced late last month. “They haven’t been able to secure the gas pipeline since 2024, and in 2025, it became largely beyond their control. They can only ensure security at sea and along a small stretch of the shoreline,” he told Myanmar Now. The KNU’s Brigade 4 along with allied armed resistance forces controls most territory between Route 8—a major stretch of the Asia Highway running north to south through Yebyu Township—and the Thailand-Myanmar border, according to Padoh Saw Eh Na. The Myanmar military reportedly still controls some base camps needed to defend the pipeline, as well as most territory west of Route 8, extending to the sea. Some of the army’s troops have advanced from these bases, leading to clashes when they encountered armed anti-junta forces. A column of around 60 soldiers deployed to reinforce one of the bases battled anti-junta fighters for around 45 minutes on August 4. The column retreated after four of its soldiers were killed during the battle, according to spokespersons for the People’s Defence Forces (PDF), which took part in the fighting. Padoh Saw Eh Na said the KNU would oversee the use of the gas pipeline within its claimed territory as well as trade on the border, prioritising good bilateral relations and the well-being of local civilians. However, the views and tactics favoured by some armed groups in the region differ from the KNU’s. The Kawthoolei Army (KTLA), a breakaway faction from the KNU, also controls parts of the pipeline and has reportedly considered shutting it down or even sabotaging it to stop any profits from going to the military junta, the Thai outlet Bangkok Post reported last Saturday. Padoh Saw Eh Na denied that any threats to shut down the pipeline originated with the KNU. Any danger of sudden disruptions or sabotage may raise concerns in Thailand, which also has an interest in the continued operation of the pipeline, according to a source in the energy sector. Anti-junta groups in Tanintharyi Region are dependent on routes from Thailand for supplies and weapons, and have reason to fear the consequences if officials or others in Thailand perceive a threat to their interests. There is a possibility of counterblockades by Thai authorities, vigilante action by Thai nationalist groups, or opportunistic attacks by the Myanmar military, according to the energy sector source. “Thailand has maintained backchannel ties with Karen groups for a long time,” the source said. “However, even if they have full control over the territory, Thailand is unlikely to fully support them and could assist the military council through tactics like counterblockades or other kinds of pressure.” He added that any damage to the pipelines causing a disruption of gas supplies to Thai power plants would also impact the Thai energy giant PTT, a major investor in the offshore natural gas extraction projects. There is heavy foreign investment in the fuel pipelines, which were first constructed under Myanmar’s former military dictatorship led by Senior General Than Shwe, with work on some starting as early as 1997 and taking 17 years to complete. Limited domestic funds forced the Myanmar military to look abroad for investors, granting them large shares of the profits in exchange for their assistance in developing the infrastructure to extract and transport the fuel. There are four active offshore oil and gas extraction projects in Myanmar. The fourth, called the Shwe project, is located off the Rakhine State coast, operated by the South Korean company POSCO, and used to move natural gas to China. Thai companies took over larger shares in oil and gas projects after other international firms withdrew their investments in response to the 2021 military coup. PTT operates the Yadana and Zawtika projects, while another Thai company—Northern Gulf Petroleum—runs the Yetagun project. Map showing the route of the natural gas pipeline running through Tanintharyi Region to Thailand (Photo: Total Energies)

Anti-junta armed groups expanding territory near gas pipelines to Thailand

The security of multibillion-dollar natural gas extraction projects is threatened by disputes over the territory near fuel pipelines passing through Myanmar’s southernmost region

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