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Myanmar regime weaponizes trade routes against MNDAA

The military regime has escalated a blockade of Chinese imports under a sweeping “100‑day plan” to force ethnic armed groups to the negotiating table, weaponizing trade routes to weaken their resistance. Since early May, checkpoints along the Muse–Mandalay highway have aggressively confiscated shipments, forcing transport firms to suspend operations.

Goods ranging from food and household products to construction materials are being seized after passing through trade zones controlled by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) in Muse and Chinshwehaw, despite the group signing a truce with the regime last year under heavy Chinese pressure and bending over backwards to accommodate Naypyitaw.

By labeling these imports illegal, the regime is apparently attempting to starve the Chinese‑speaking armed group of frontier tax revenue. This reflects s broader strategy of economic attrition, launched after the regime lost control of northern Shan State and its border corridors to China during Operation 1027. Despite the embargo, cross‑border commerce under MNDAA oversight is thriving.