Government authorities have banned any goods from Kyaington, Mongyawng, Mongyu and Mongyang townships entering the Mongla area, in Special Region 4, for over a month according to local people.
Since 13 February till now goods such as rice, oil, salt, corn and other food that was imported from Thailand and transported along any of the Kyaington-Mongla Road, the Kyaington-Mongyang-Mongpyin-Hotao Road and the Mongyawng-Mongyu-Nampan Road have been stopped from continuing to Mongla by the government authorities at Ta-Pin Bridge, Mongyu and Mongyang townships.
Sai Nwam Ti, a resident of Mongyawng said: “Since the authorities have blocked all goods from passing people from Mongyawng, where rice production is high, are finding it difficult to sell their rice to China. It is the same problem for bean and corn produced in other areas [of Burma for export to China]. It [the blocking of goods] started on 13 February, so it has been going on for over a month.”
An officer from the Mongla group, the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), based in Nampan said that he does not understand why the government has banned all goods from entering the area. He said that despite the ban his group would not be affected.
“There is nothing [about this ban] that will affect the Mongla Army. There are sufficient rice and other crops produced in the Mongla area for local people. Other materials also enter from China,” said the officer, who withheld his name.
Sai Nwet, a resident of Kyaington said: “The ban is only [for goods] going from this side to that side [Mongla]. The big trucks are banned so the goods are transferred to small trucks and get through that way. The authorities are carefully checking people, motorcycles are not allowed to drive through checkpoints, so drivers have to walk through pushing their motorbikes, people with Mongla ID documents are also being intimidated by the authorities. Because my sister and husband said they had travelled from Thailand the authorities at Ta-Pin asked them to pay 5,000 kyats.”
The government has accused the Mongla Army of supplying the Peng Jia Sheng led Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) Kokang group with military assistance, manpower, money and information.
After fighting started between the government forces and Kokang forces on 9 February the government authorities imposed limits and bans on the Mongla group. The government forces have also stationed 120mm artillery launchers and armoured vehicles at the Ta Pin Bridge checkpoint between Kyaington and Mongla.
Translated by Aung Myat Soe English version written by Mark Inkey for BNI
