CNI News

27 September 2022

As searches have intensified at checkpoints along routes leading to Rakhine State, there are long queues of cargo trucks, border trade between Rakhine State and Bangladesh has been delayed, according to merchants.

Cargo trucks from Yangon normally took only two days to get to Rakhine State, it currently takes them almost three days to reach the western state due to intensified searches, failing to export goods to Bangladesh in time and decreasing their prices, General Secretary U Aung Aung of the Rakhine Chamber of Commerce and Industry told the CNI.

 A road junction in Rakhine State.

He said, “When fish are exported, we must transport them to Rakhine State within 48 hours or two days but it now takes three days to do so because searches are intensified along the route. Cargo trucks fail to get to the border in time. It takes 5 days for fish trucks to get to Bangladesh and prices drop while higher service fees such as freezing costs and the falling fish prices in the market.”

Travelling along waterways and roads in Rakhine State are permitted when travellers can show their citizenship registration cards. Therefore, some passenger buses and cargo trucks have to wait two to three days at checkpoints.

Moreover, trading land routes to Maungdaw has been blocked and border trade between Maungdaw and Bangladesh has come to halt.

At present, merchants are exporting goods that are transported from Pauktaw by small boat, according to U Aung Naing, a merchant from Maungdaw.

   Personnel of the AA forces.

He told CNI, “We have almost nothing to export because routes have been closed for 20 days or so. Exports have halted because we have nothing to export. Only a few goods from Pauktaw can be transported by small boat. The goods are stored at the jetty and carried by light truck every two or three days because we are not allowed to use heavy trucks.”

Searches conducted by authorities should not hamper the commodity flow and trade in the state, said merchants and entrepreneurs.

Although the number of checkpoints in Rakhine State increased in 2020 but searches did not intensify. Since the resumption of fighting between the AA and the Tatmadaw, searches have intensified.

Currently, there are more than 20 checkpoints between Sittwe and Ann including checkpoints at Sittwe Military Police gate, Kyauktan gate, Kyauktaw Military Police gate and gates at battalion 371,372 and 373 gates.