The junta checkpoint in Mong Pawn Town, Loilem Township, southern Shan State, is seizing goods from trucks carrying foreign merchandise, sometimes taking entire vehicles, and extorting money from drivers.
Since early January, the junta checkpoint in Mong Pawn has intensified inspections and targeted trucks carrying imported clothes and food from Thailand, confiscating goods, extorting drivers for millions of MMK, and sometimes seizing entire vehicles.
“Even if they catch just a few pieces of cloth from Thailand, the authorities won’t let it slide. Sometimes they even take the whole truck. Every single item has to be handed over at the checkpoint. The inspections are really strict,” a driver said.
Not only goods imported from Thailand and China, but also local products from Shan State towns like Mong Kung, Laihka, Panglong, and Namsang are subject to extortion, confiscation, or being turned back at Mong Pawn if they lack a recommendation letter issued by the local administrative officials from their place of origin.
As a result, running the Loilem–Taunggyi express with cargo, even when passenger numbers are low, is no longer feasible. With strict restrictions on carrying goods, operating the bus without full passenger capacity is not economically viable.
“Before, we could load goods even if there weren’t many passengers. But now, the inspections are really strict. The authorities won’t let us carry too much cargo when there are only a few passengers, so the bus lines have started waiting until the buses are full before they can leave,” said a bus operator in the region.
Cities and towns across Shan State, including the state capital Taunggyi, are now facing shortages of Thai and Chinese products, with prices soaring significantly.
In December last year, the junta began restricting imports of Thai and Chinese goods. Since then, checkpoints have targeted trucks carrying foreign goods, seizing items, extorting money, and causing severe hardships for drivers and truck operators.
Since early November, the Mong Pawn checkpoint has forced trucks to unload all cupboard boxes and other goods for individual inspection, causing unnecessary delays.
