Thai-Myanmar crossing shut as junta clamps down on trade
The military, which seized power in a 2021 coup, controls the Myawaddy bridge that carries more than $120 million of trade between the neighbouring nations every month, according to Thai customs figures.
However, along the highway linking the crossing to the commercial capital Yangon, its troops are fighting a civil war against an array of guerrillas who fund their fighting with lucrative toll gates.
Naing Maung Zaw, a spokesman for the military's Border Guard Forces, said the crossing had been shut "for trading vehicles" since Monday.
The military has pledged to clamp down on illicit trade funding its opponents ahead of a December 28 election, which is already being criticised abroad as a ploy to rebrand continuing military rule.
The vote is also set to be blocked in huge tracts of the country administered by a kaleidoscope of pro-democracy guerrillas and ethnic armed organisations that have found common cause since the coup.
A Thai security source based at the border, speaking anonymously, said the junta had "set regulations to make it uncomfortable for minority groups, to try to stop them from earning money or benefits".
As the junta shut the crossing on Monday, it announced the late December start date for phased elections that it has trumpeted as an off ramp to the civil war.
The military has made limited gains against rebels in recent weeks, seizing back ground where it can now hold the election. The poll is expected to take weeks to complete.
Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing pledged last week to combat border-based opposition fighters that "use the profits collected from illegal trade to strengthen their forces".
Ahead of the polls, democratic figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi remains jailed after being deposed, with her party dissolved and other ousted lawmakers calling for a boycott.
The junta has also introduced harsh new laws dictating prison sentences of up to 10 years for critics or those who protest against the vote.
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First Post
a day ago
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Myanmar shuts key trade crossing with Thailand as junta seeks to choke rebel funding before polls
The crossing at the Myawaddy bridge, which carries more than $120m worth of goods between the neighbours each month according to Thai customs data, was sealed to trading vehicles Thai soldiers stand guard overlooking the Moei river on the Thai side near the Tak border checkpoint with Myanmar in Thailand's Mae Sot district. File image/ AFP Myanmar's busiest border trade route with Thailand has been closed for a second consecutive day, after the military regime vowed to crack down on black market revenues that it claims are propping up armed resistance groups ahead of elections scheduled for late December. The crossing at the Myawaddy bridge, which carries more than $120m worth of goods between the neighbours each month according to Thai customs data, was sealed to trading vehicles on Monday. The military said the move was aimed at stemming illicit flows that bankroll guerrilla forces entrenched along the highways linking the border to Yangon. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Naing Maung Zaw, a spokesman for the junta's Border Guard Forces, confirmed the closure, which comes as the regime seeks to present next month's poll as a pathway out of civil war. Critics, however, dismiss the election as an exercise to entrench military rule. Behind the closure The junta, which seized power in a 2021 coup, is fighting on multiple fronts against pro-democracy militias and ethnic armed organisations that have banded together since the putsch. Many sustain their campaigns through levies imposed at roadblocks and toll gates on trade routes, including the lucrative Myawaddy corridor. 'The regime has set regulations to make it uncomfortable for minority groups, to try to stop them from earning money or benefits,' said a Thai security official stationed at the frontier, who requested anonymity. Min Aung Hlaing, the junta leader, last week vowed to target opposition fighters he accused of 'using profits collected from illegal trade to strengthen their forces.' A contested election The military has announced a phased election beginning on 28 December, with voting expected to take weeks. Its forces have made limited territorial gains in recent weeks, recapturing areas where they plan to hold the poll. Yet vast parts of the country remain under the control of armed groups opposed to the coup, raising questions over the feasibility of the vote. Democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi remains in detention and her National League for Democracy has been dissolved, with former lawmakers urging citizens to boycott. Meanwhile, the junta has imposed draconian new penalties, including prison terms of up to 10 years for those who criticise or protest against the election.
The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
Thai-Myanmar crossing shut as junta clamps down on trade
Myanmar and Thailand's busiest trade crossing was closed for a second day on Tuesday (August 19, 2025) after the military junta pledged to throttle black markets funding armed opposition groups ahead of a disputed December election. The military, which seized power in a 2021 coup, controls the Myawaddy bridge that carries more than $120 million of trade between the neighbouring nations every month, according to Thai customs figures. However, along the highway linking the crossing to the commercial capital Yangon, its troops are fighting a civil war against an array of guerrillas who fund their fighting with lucrative toll gates. Naing Maung Zaw, a spokesman for the military's Border Guard Forces, said the crossing had been shut "for trading vehicles" since Monday. The military has pledged to clamp down on illicit trade funding its opponents ahead of a December 28 election, which is already being criticised abroad as a ploy to rebrand continuing military rule. The vote is also set to be blocked in huge tracts of the country administered by a kaleidoscope of pro-democracy guerrillas and ethnic armed organisations that have found common cause since the coup. A Thai security source based at the border, speaking anonymously, said the junta had "set regulations to make it uncomfortable for minority groups, to try to stop them from earning money or benefits". As the junta shut the crossing on Monday, it announced the late December start date for phased elections that it has trumpeted as an off ramp to the civil war. The military has made limited gains against rebels in recent weeks, seizing back ground where it can now hold the election. The poll is expected to take weeks to complete. Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing pledged last week to combat border-based opposition fighters that "use the profits collected from illegal trade to strengthen their forces". Ahead of the polls, democratic figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi remains jailed after being deposed, with her party dissolved and other ousted lawmakers calling for a boycott. The junta has also introduced harsh new laws dictating prison sentences of up to 10 years for critics or those who protest against the vote.
