The Military Council has prohibited the transportation of essential commodities, including rice, oil, salt, fuel, and medicine, to Namtu and Namhsan towns, which are under the control of the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) in northern Shan State.
The Military Council has obstructed routes leading to the two towns seized by TNLA, intensifying inspections and prohibiting the import of essential commodities such as food, medicine and fuel, inflicting hardship on the local population.
"While pedestrians and small vehicles are permitted to pass, a strict ban is imposed on carrying essentials such as rice, oil, fuel, and medicine. Checkpoints have been set up, conducting rigorous inspections, leading to significant hardship for the residents of Namtu and Namhsan”, a local told KNG.
Access to Namtu and Namhsan is available through the Lashio-Manhsan, Hsipaw-Panlong, and Kyaukme-Mongngawt roads.
On the Lashio-Manhsan Road, the Junta has established checkpoints and is conducting inspections. Meanwhile, on the Hsipaw-Panlong Road, the Military Council prohibits the passage of vehicles. On the Kyaukme-Mongngawt Road, particularly around the Nyeinchanyaykone (Peace Hill) area, the Military Council has set up a checkpoint, where inspections primarily focus on items carried in vehicles, people using these routes reported.
As a consequence the cost of traveling along these routes has surged to ten times its previous level.
"When access to Hsipaw-Panlong was completely closed, we had to travel through long and challenging forest routes. As a result the cost increased by almost 10 times. The prices of commodities are also soaring, with petrol reaching as high as MMK 7000 per liter, and the price of raw rice already escalating to MMK 120,000 per bag”, a local said.
The essential goods for Namhsan are primarily sourced from Kyaukme, while those for Namtu are predominantly imported from Lashio. The closure of trade routes by the Military Council has posed a significant threat to both towns, leading to concerns about potential shortages of food and fuel, according to residents.
On December 15th, TNLA successfully captured Namhsan, and subsequently took full control of Namtu on December 18th.
