Trade routes in Matupi Township, southern Chin State, which were temporarily closed due to security concerns, have been reopened since August 28, according to the Matupi Revolutionary Organisation/Chinland Defence Force – Matupi (MRO/CDF-Matupi).
“We have reopened all public roads. They were temporarily closed due to an emergency status, but now everything is back to normal. Trade activities in Matupi Township will also resume,” said Ko Bway Oap, spokesperson for the MRO/CDF-Matupi.
MRO/CDF-Matupi reopened trade routes in Matupi Township 22 days after their closure, which was prompted by a security emergency on August 6.
On August 28, MRO/CDF-Matupi announced that the roads had reopened under its regulations. The group added that a toll would be collected on goods transported by vehicles and that only small cars and pickups would be allowed to pass due to damage to the roads caused by the ongoing rainy season.
MRO/CDF-Matupi also warned that all trade regulations issued by its Trade Department must be respected, and that action will be taken against vehicles and owners who violate the rules.
In July, MRO/CDF-Matupi, working with local communities, repaired sections of the Matupi–Lai Len Pi–Mizoram highway that had been damaged by erosion.
Similarly, the group completed repairs on the Matupi–Mindat Road in July, which had been damaged by heavy rains, mountain torrents, and landslides.
The Matupi–Samee Road, damaged by landslides, was also repaired by MRO/CDF-Matupi in early July; however, currently only small vehicles are allowed to pass.
MRO/CDF-Matupi, a member of the Chin Brotherhood Alliance, controls large areas of Matupi Township, including the township seat, Matupi, and is now focusing on reconstruction efforts as well as operating administrative functions.
Another Chin resistance group, CDF-Kanpetlet, announced on August 20 that it would temporarily close all roads connecting Magway Region and Kanpetlet in southern Chin State, citing the gathering of junta troops preparing for military operations along the Chin–Magway border.
