CNI News

9 November 2023

Temporary Border Pass (TBP) was issued again from 3rd to 10th November to enter China through border gate and 3,600 people have been issued, U Htay, chairman of the Humanitarian Aid Delivery Network, told CNI News.

Due to the battles that are currently breaking, the number of people who take TBPs is getting fewer and the place that issue TBPs has been changed to the Nandaw Gate. It is not clear when TBPs will be issued anymore, he said.

" Those who take TBPs has fewer because the flow of goods has stopped. 3620 people took TBPs on 3rd November. In the past, about 6,000 people took TBPs regularly. Because the roads have been blocked, the people from the mainland can't come, I think. Because a TBP is allowed to stay for seven days, it's difficult to come back from the other side. There are people who are staying on the Chinese side with QR code. There are many people who don't come back. More than half of the people who have entered China don't come back. 

While seeing the people who came to get TBPs

TBPs will be issued at the Nandaw Gate staring from 11th November. TBPs haven't stopped. They will take into account of the safety for the staff and themselves." he said.

Although the line of people waiting to get the TBPs was long in the past, the number of people who get the TBPs has been fewer, said Prahita (philanthropic) associations. 

The Tatmadaw camps, police stations, township general administration offices and toll gates in Laukkai, Theinni, Muse, Mong Ko, Chin Shwe Haw, Naunghkio, Lashio townships in northern Shan State were attacked by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and its allies on 27th October 2023.

The attack is called the Operation-1027 which contains the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), the Arakan Army (AA), the Bamar People Liberation Army (BPLA) and Mandalay People's Defense Force (MDY-PDF) with the MNDAA and battles are still breaking out. 

Because some roads in northern Shan State have been blocked, those who want to enter or leave Muse are stranded on the way and some of them are staying in nearby houses, an official from the Beautiful Heart Philanthropic Association told CNI News.

Those who came from Laukkai were facing with traffic jam.

" There are so many people who are stranded. For example, you can't come from Pang Sai to Muse. You can't come from Kutkai to Muse. Now, you can't come from Mandalay to Muse at all. A girl lost a leg of hers due to a mine explosion this morning. The price of gasoline is very high. One liter is paid 3,000 kyats. The price is going up every day. But you can buy it. Even though goods cannot come from the main land, they come from China. The grassroots are suffering a lot." he said.

It is reported that the number of IDPs has reached 25,000 withing one week due to the Operation-1027 waged by the Three Brotherhood Alliance. Over 8,000 IDPs are taking refuge in the monasteries in Theinni Township reportedly. It is also reported that tens of thousands of local people are trapped in the fighting.

" We can't go or come between Theinni and Muse. There is no flow of goods as well. Muse, Namkham, Theinni is one side and the road from Theinni to Gote Twin is the other side. But we have heard that China have accepted IDPs. Some IDPs go to China. China authorities don't check IDPs tightly. IDPs are not allowed to use mobile phones, I heard." said U Zaw Zaw, chairman of the Hotel Entrepreneurs Association, (northern Shan State), to CNI News.

Those who came and get Temporary Border Pass before the battles, those who come back from Laukkai, Traffic Jam and TBP card.