Military checkpoint near Nar Ma Khaw village charging 200,000 kyats per vehicle, leaving travellers stranded

Travelers' vehicles in difficulty as military checkpoint near Nar Ma Khaw village demands 200,000 kyats per vehicle

October 10

It is reported that travel vehicles passing through are facing difficulties because a checkpoint near Nar Ma Khaw village on the Thibaw-Mongkaung highway in Shan State is demanding hundreds of thousands of kyats in checkpoint crossing fees from private cars and cargo trucks.

It is reported that two junta military checkpoints near Nar Ma Khaw village on the Thibaw-Mongkaung highway typically demand 200,000 to around 300,000 kyats per private car passing through, and if the travelers cannot pay, they are told to leave behind the goods they are carrying.

"Before reaching Nam Lan, the two checkpoints near Nar Ma Khaw village don't demand payment on the way up, they demand it on the way back down. If you're carrying household goods, they start demanding 200,000 kyats per vehicle. If you don't pay, you have to leave behind everything you brought. As for the Without cars belonging to the Chinese who own the checkpoints, they just wave their hands and can go whenever they want," a driver said.

It is reported that on the Thibaw-Mongkaung road, there are now only three junta military checkpoints — Naung Wu checkpoint, the checkpoint near Nar Ma Khaw, and the checkpoint at the Nam Lan junction — and that at the infamous Wet Wun checkpoint heading down toward Mandalay, only anti-narcotics police remain.

MyoTaw News Channel