Myanmar’s Myawaddy border trade zone with Thailand reopens after brief closure due to fighting

19 Aug 2022

DMG Newsroom
19 August, 2022, Myawaddy, Kayin State 

The Myawaddy trade zone, a key area for transborder commerce between Myanmar and Thailand in Kayin (Karen) State’s Myawaddy Township, was re-opened on Friday after being closed by Myanmar’s military regime the day prior. 

The border trade zone was closed following increased military tensions between junta troops and resistance forces, some of which attacked the township police station, township court and state-owned Myanma Economic Bank on August 15 in Kayin State’s Kawkareik Township. 

“They have temporarily closed the border trade zone. They justified this by saying that fighting from Kawkareik may escalate to there via the Asian Highway,” said a local merchant. 

The regime ordered traders to vacate the Myawaddy border trade zone, said a Myawaddy resident. 

“I saw junta troops going into the border trade zone. Cargo trucks and merchants left shortly thereafter,” he said. 

Though the Myawaddy border trade zone reopened on Friday, only a few cargo trucks were allowed to enter it. 

“It has yet to fully open,” said another merchant. “Officials of the zone said that only the trucks that were ordered to leave yesterday were allowed to be back, and new trucks are not yet allowed to go in.” 

The Myawaddy trade border trade zone is a major hub of transnational commerce for Myanmar. Through it, Myanmar mainly imports foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, consumer goods and building materials, and exports marine products and agricultural produce including beans and pulses, and sesame.