CNI News

3 April 2024

Lweje-Laying border trade, Myanmar-China border trade has been suspended due to battles breaking out between the Tatmadaw and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in Kachin State, truck drivers told CNI News.

Trucks were often stuck on the way along the Banmaw-Lwele road in March during the battles that were breaking out between the Tatmadaw and the KIA-PDF joint forces.

It had not been convenient for trucks to go to Lweje starting from 25th March 2024 and the Chinese side has closed already after which the Lweje border trade has stopped, Ko Aung Zin, a truck driver from Lweje, told CNI News.

While the KIA force at the gate of Lweje

" The road to Lweje has been closed. You can't go to Lweje from Banmaw. The cars that have been stuck turned around and came back from the Inbaba Road. There are no cars that go to Lweje, but the cars that came back from Lweje. There isn't any government staff including ones from the customs department anymore." he said.

Because the Lweje border trade has stopped, Over 100 Myanmar trucks have been stuck on the Chinese side, Ko Tun Naing, a truck driver from Lweje, told CNI News.

" We haven't been able to do anything for the time being. Some trucks go back to Mandalay. Truck drivers deliver goods back to traders. There are also over 100 trucks that are stuck in China because China has closed the border gate." he said.

The Myanmar side was exporting regionally produced fruits such as tissue banana, watermelon and pumpkin to the Chinese side and importing construction materials, electrical equipment, motorcar spare parts and consumer goods from China.