In the remote village of Shingkawng in Kawnglanghpu Township, Putao District, Kachin State, residents are enduring hardships as the junta and an allied militia group jointly block the transport of goods.
The Tang Gu Tan militia, which controls Shingkawng Village, has blocked local traders, merchants, and residents from crossing the border into China to purchase imported goods. As a result, villagers are struggling to bring essential supplies back to their homes.
Villagers accused the militia of monopolizing imports from China into Shingkawng Village. While local traders face hardships, the junta and militia have allowed Chinese traders to open shops in the village, a local told KNG.
“All the shops here are owned by Chinese people, and they’re allowed to open right near the junta and militia checkpoints. The junta and militia collect more taxes from these shops. Since the Chinese have to pay high taxes, they sell their goods at higher prices, making even basic food items like rice and oil very expensive,” he said.
According to locals, the militia tightly controls not only rice and cooking oil but also all fuel and other imports from China. It collaborates with Chinese traders to sell these goods to villagers at inflated prices.
Currently, a barrel of fuel that costs about 300 RMB in China is being sold for 400 RMB in Shingkawng, and the quantities provided often do not meet regulated standards.
“All the imported goods have to be unloaded at the checkpoint at the entrance of Shingkawng Village. Most of these goods are brought in by Chinese traders, and people have to buy them at whatever price the traders set. Locals aren’t allowed to bring anything in themselves,” a village resident said.
Most Shingkawng locals earn their living primarily through farming anise and black cardamom and foraging for cordyceps (caterpillar fungus) in the forests, with most of their products exported to China.
Since the beginning of the year, the junta and militia have banned locals from going to China to sell their goods. Instead, they force the villagers to sell these products to Chinese traders at prices set by the Tang Gu Tan militia.
The junta and militia, in cooperation with Chinese traders, often double the price of imported goods from China when selling to locals, while paying much lower prices for local products.
Shingkawng Village, located between Kawnglanghpu Town and the Chinese border, is very remote with difficult transportation. Locals rely on Chinese imports for basic necessities, as access to other parts of Kachin State is challenging.
The locals of Shingkawng have struggled since the militia took control of all trade in the area, blocking them from going to the Chinese border to bring in goods.
Shingkawng Village is about a three-day walk from Kawnglanghpu Town. Although it is just a village, it has a larger population than Kawnglanghpu.
In November 2023, a major fire swept through the village, destroying many homes. In May of this year, a smaller fire damaged four more houses.
Locals are still struggling to rebuild after the fires and remain in need of assistance, prompting them to call on the militia not to have sole control over trade activities.
KNG has tried to contact the Tang Gu Tan militia group by phone regarding the matter but has been unsuccessful due to poor communication networks in the region.
