Myanmar junta seizes over 300 cargo trucks, disrupting border trade

Over 300 cargo trucks carrying Thai goods were intercepted in Hpa-an, Karen State, earlier this month, causing a sharp decline in Thai-Myanmar border trade.The Myanmar military has seized the trucks at the Thiri car compound in new efforts to curb illegal trade. Junta officials are inspecting the truck’s supply to check for tax compliance. Those without proper documentation will be confiscated, sources say.Due to regular checks on trucks arriving from Myawaddy at the checkpoint near Hpa-an and uncertainty regarding what actions will be taken against the some 300 seized trucks, local business people are unwilling to import goods at this time, an entrepreneur and member of the central committee of the Myanmar Highway Freight Transportation Service Association, told Myanmar Now. "We are uncertain about the policy under which these actions will be taken against the seized goods, so trade has slowed, though it hasn. . .