Military-AA truce brings little immediate relief from travel restrictions on several Arakan State roads, waterways

By DMG 29 Nov 2022

DMG Newsroom
29 November 2022, Sittwe  

Myanmar’s military regime has yet to lift travel restrictions on multiple roads and waterways despite its recently brokered ceasefire with the Arakan Army (AA), according to local residents. 

The military and the AA agreed to observe an informal ceasefire on Saturday, more than three months after fighting between the two sides became a regular occurrence in Arakan State and neighbouring Chin State’s Paletwa Township. The AA has described the truce as a humanitarian ceasefire, saying junta travel restrictions imposed since the conflict renewed are taking a heavy toll on Arakan State’s people, with scores of civilian casualties and farmers unable to harvest their crops due to indiscriminate artillery strikes by regime forces. 

The travel restrictions have brought hardship for individuals and crimped vital supply lines, with the prices of basic goods and other commodities rising significantly in recent months due to lack of supply. 

Local residents hoped that the regime would lift travel restrictions following the ceasefire, but the majority of roads and waterways are still inaccessible, they say. 

The regime has re-opened the Sittwe-Buthidaung-Rathedaung waterways, but travel restrictions are not yet lifted for boat transport between Sittwe and outlying destinations such as Pauktaw, Mrauk-U, Myebon and Minbya townships, said U San Maw Thein, manager of the Sittwe-based Shwe Pyi Tan ferry boat service. 

“We were informed by Inland Water Transport that we are allowed to resume operations to Rathedaung and Buthidaung. They didn’t say if there is any restriction on delivery of goods,” he told DMG. 

The Sittwe-Ponnagyun, Minbya-Myebon and Sittwe-Rathedaung roads, and the Sittwe-Pauktaw, Sittwe-Mrauk-U, Sittwe-Minbya and Sittwe-Myebon waterways remained inaccessible as of Tuesday. The Sittwe-Rathedaung road has been blockaded since June 16. 

The regime has reopened the Maungdaw-Agnumaw road, but the majority of drivers dare not travel, a local driver told DMG. 

“We heard that the Maungdaw-Agnumaw road was reopened, but a media outlet reported that it would not be opened until November 30. So, we dare not travel now. We will drive there and learn the situation on November 30,” he said. 

Though the regime has not officially reopened the Sittwe-Rathedaung road, vehicles were travelling along it on Monday, said another driver. 

“There are still checkpoints along the road. They check the citizenship IDs of travellers and whether they have letters of residence from their concerned ward administrators. They also check the citizenship IDs of drivers,” he said. 

Rakhine Daily, a mouthpiece of the Arakan State Administration Council (ASAC), reported that concerned officials would discuss lifting travel restrictions on remaining affected waterways.  The report did not mention whether they would discuss ending travel restrictions on still-blockaded roads. 

DMG was unable to contact ASAC spokesman U Hla Thein to enquire about when the travel restrictions might be lifted completely. 

At a press briefing on Monday, the AA spokesman said the Arakanese ethnic armed group had entered into the latest ceasefire on humanitarian grounds, for the sake of local people in Arakan State.