Junta bars private cargo ships from docking at Sittwe Port

By Admin 03 Sep 2024

DMG Newsroom
3 September 2024, Sittwe

The military regime has reportedly barred private ships attempting to transport goods from mainland Myanmar to Sittwe, Arakan State, from docking at Sittwe Port.

Since August, private ships have been banned from docking in Sittwe, which depends on air and sea routes for supplying basic goods, essentials and even furniture for residents, according to local merchants.

“Private cargo ships have been banned from docking in Sittwe since August. Previously, we used private cargo ships to transport furniture owned by people who fled to Yangon due to military tensions in Sittwe,” said a local merchant in Sittwe.

Food products are transported to Sittwe by private cargo ships and household furniture going from Sittwe to mainland Myanmar are among the goods carried by these private cargo ships that are not getting to their intended destinations.

The military regime has barred the entry and exit of private ships, but state-owned and state-sanctioned vessels are reportedly transporting junta staff employees from Sittwe to Yangon.

“The regime uses private cargo ships to transport its staff employees from Sittwe to Yangon. I was about to send my car and motorcycle to Yangon when the regime closed the entry and exit of private cargo ships,” said a resident of Sittwe.

The latest transport restrictions come at a time of rising prices for goods and services across wartime Arakan State, with shortages affecting most of the state to varying degrees due to junta blockades.

“Fighting spreads to Sittwe now. We can’t afford to buy air tickets to flee the fighting. People used to go by ship because it was cheaper. The junta has imposed restrictions on entry and exit of private cargo ships,” said a female merchant in Sittwe.

A ticket from Sittwe to Yangon currently goes for around K450,000 to K500,000.

The regime has used Sittwe Port to transport construction materials and food supplies to junta battalions in the Arakan State capital since the latest fighting began in November.