Mizzima
Armed groups, both from the junta and defence forces, are charging exorbitant toll fees to trucks travelling to and from Myawaddy on the Thai border, according to local merchants and truck drivers.
Since December 2023, the main Myawaddy-Kawkareik Asia Highway has been closed due to fierce fighting between the junta and joint forces from the KNU and PDFs in Kawkareik and Thin Gan Nyi Naung townships in Karen State.
With the closure of the Myawaddy to Kawkareik Asia Highway, alternative routes like the Kawkareik to Thin Gan Nyi Naung Road and various unpaved forest routes such as the Htawtkawkoe Road, the Kyat Ou Taung Road, the 1018 Road, and the Yin Kwe Taung Road are now being used by cars and trucks.
“When many cars are using the the Kawkareik to Thin Gan Nyi Naung Road, some instead resort to using unpaved roads through the forest which are particularly treacherous during the rainy season.
Larger trucks with more than six wheels cannot navigate these forest roads. The KNU/KNLA Peace Council [KPC] and various other groups also demand money along these roads. When these roads become damaged due to the weather we will have to use other routes, all of which have different armed groups”, said a truck driver.
“A six-wheeler freight truck costs 1,200,000 Kyats [about 300 USD at market rates] just for using half of the Kawkareik-Thin Gan Nyi Naung Road. It may cost at least 2,000,000 Kyats [about 500 USD at market rates] to reach Yangon. Various armed forces demand money for using the road”, said a trader.
He also reported that armed forces are collecting money from travelers using roads such as the Htawtkawkoe Road and the 1018 Road, with each car costing at least 800,000 Kyats. However, these roads have become extremely muddy and difficult to navigate during the rainy season.
Talking about the costs of taking a truck from Myawaddy into Myanmar and on to Yangon a truck driver from Myawaddy said: “We pay tolls when we depart from Myawaddy Town, then we have to pay the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) on another section of the Kawkareik to Thin Gan Nyi Naung Road, followed by payments to resistance force groups when going up the Dawna Mountain Range. After that, we have to pay the KNU/KNLA Peace Council [KPC] and Military Council soldiers at their respective checkpoints. Traffic police, military forces, customs officers, and immigration officers also demand money along the road to Yangon.”
A representative of the Cobra Column People’s Defence Force (PDF) denied that PDFs are collecting money on the routes in and out of Myawaddy.
The Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) which was an ally of the junta until very recently when it declared itself independent, controls two sections of the Myawaddy to Kawkareik Asia Highway and the KNU/KNLA Peace Council (KPC) controls another section, but currently, those sections of the Asia Highway are closed.
The situation regarding tolls on the Kawkareik to Thin Gan Nyi Naung Road and other small roads remains unclear, according to KPC spokesperson, Brigadier General Saw Kyaw Nyunt.
He said: “It is difficult for me to comment on the money collection issue mentioned by truck drivers. It might or might not be happening. Many Karen armed groups are active in the area, so I cannot specify which groups are asking for money.”
He said that because of the Asia Highway closure, other smaller roads from Myawaddy have been open since December 2023.
A Karen BGF official was contacted and asked about money being collected on the Myawaddy transport routes, but they did not respond.
Now trucks travelling along these alternative routes to and from Myawaddy are having to, reportedly, pay fees of nearly 4,000,000 kyats to various groups. Previously, when they could use the Asia Highway, they only had to pay fees of around 500,000 kyats.
The expense of transporting goods to Myawaddy has led to a shortage of rice and basic food products there during June, leading to a significant rise in commodity prices.
