Myanmar junta says it expects Myawaddy border trade to resume within a month

Trade at the Thai-Myanmar border town of Myawaddy should resume within a month, according to Khin Maung Myint, Karen State’s junta-appointed minister for economic affairs. He noted, however, that this would be contingent upon how soon the regime can take full control of the town, which it recaptured from anti-junta forces last week. “We can only resume operations in Myawaddy after the army is in full control,” he said, adding that it would also depend on how soon the transportation department can have everything ready to allow goods to start flowing across the border again. “However, we can say that we will be able to resume operations within a month of taking full control of the area,” he said, speaking to Myanmar Now on Tuesday. On Saturday, the regime reopened the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge No. 1, which is used mainly for regular traffic. Bridge No. 2, which mostly handles transport vehicles used in trade, remains closed. According to a Myawaddy resident, some trade—limited to food and other basic items—has already begun to trickle across the border. Containers used for transporting goods across the Moei River between Myawaddy and the Thai border town of Mae Sot(Myanmar Now) “So far, only a small amount is coming across, so some people here are going over [to the Thai side] in taxis to buy things for themselves,” he said. Earlier this month, in a major blow to the regime, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and it allies managed to seize control of Myawaddy following the capture of the Light Infantry Battalion 275 base west of the town. However, junta forces reclaimed the town last Monday amid heavy clashes that sent thousands of local residents fleeing, some of them across the border into Thailand. According to Khin Maung Myint, the military’s “Operation Aung Zeya” offensive is continuing in Kawkareik, just west of Myawaddy, under the supervision of the minister of state security and border affairs. Even if the offensive is successful, however, damage to infrastructure caused by the conflict will likely slow down the full resumption of trade. The main road connecting Myawaddy to Yangon and other major cities in Myanmar is the Asia Highway. A number of bridges along the highway have been destroyed by fighting in recent months. For now, trade is being done through the Htoe Kaw Koe-Kyaw Kho road, a temporary route made primarily for military purposes. Trucks using this road must spend a day going uphill and another day going down. “There’s still trading going on. Even if [Bridge Number 2] isn’t reopened, transport trucks are still leaving Myawaddy. They’re just fewer in number now,” said Khin Maung Myint. Meanwhile, the situation in and around Myawaddy remains tense. According to residents, “security guards” from the Karen National Army—formerly the junta-aligned Karen Border Guard Force—are patrolling the town as some locals who fled begin to return. Many others, however, continue to keep their distance as fears of renewed fighting persist.

Myanmar junta says it expects Myawaddy border trade to resume within a month

The resumption of trade will have to wait until the regime is in full control of the town, according to a senior official

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