PDF extortion and roadblock usage on Monywa-YayU-Kanhtooma Road
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Hsu/ Iris (NP News) - July 12
Reports indicate that PDF terrorists are threatening to plant mines and attack if vehicles travel on the main roads of the Monywa-YayU-Kanthtooma route. As a result, trucks and passenger vehicles are being diverted to detour routes connecting villages, where exorbitant fees are being demanded.
Drivers and businesses passing through these routes have reported to The Statesman that PDF terrorists are forbidding the use of the main roads for transportation of goods and passengers to Monywa, instead forcing them to take village detours to extort money.
“The route includes Monywa, YayU, and Taze-Kanhtooma. After passing Monywa, there comes Butalin-Saingpyingyee where vehicles are diverted to the Debayin-YayU-Taze route, avoiding three major towns and taking longer, more challenging village roads. Drivers are frustrated, as the routes are longer, muddy in the rainy season, and fuel cost is more. Each village demands money at their gates, claiming it is for the protection and support of their PDFs. Previously, they demanded money directly on the main roads, but now they force vehicles through village routes to collect fees,” a source told The NP News.
The original Kanhtooma-Taze-YayU-Debayin-Saingpyingyi-Butalin-Monywa route spans about 60 miles, but due to safety concerns, trucks and passenger vehicles are taking an extra two hours to navigate detour routes. It has been reported that goods trucks bound for Monywa are also being extorted at high rates.
“Recently, a truck carrying goods worth 10 million kyats was forced to pay a 500,000 kyats fee. The military in the town can’t intervene as they’re occupied, leaving drivers to deal with themselves,” the source added. While the military has checkpoints on the main roads of the Monywa-YayU-Taze route, they lack control over surrounding villages leading to rampant extortion by PDF terrorists.
Drivers starting from Monywa report having to divert around Saingpyingyi to reach, bypassing Debayin. They also avoid direct routes between Butalin and Saingpyingyi, preferring safer detours.
“In March, vehicles from Butalin weren’t allowed into Monywa without proper documentation from Butalin by Monwya PDF. They forced many trucks to return to Buthalin for information of how many males and females and how much goods they brought in. Although this system was later halted, drivers must still navigate detour routes to avoid PDF checkpoints,” another source noted.
It has been reported that drivers must pay money at each PDF checkpoint along the detour route, with daily revenues from these checkpoints estimated to be between 3,000,000 and 5,000,000 kyats, amounting to over 9 million kyats monthly. Some of this money about one fifth of the money is reportedly donated back to local village IDPs, while the rest is used by the PDFs.
"We thought that because of the battles, the villages were destroyed and people were struggling to survive. But it turns out they are able to buy goods”, the source said. What this means is that drivers passing through the village detour routes are being charged at least 30,000 kyats per checkpoint, with daily revenues exceeding 3 million kyats, and monthly revenues exceeding 90 million kyats. It is reported that this money is being used by PDFs and displaced villagers to buy essential supplies.
The Monywa-YayU-Taze route is plagued by landmines, with the military periodically clearing them. PDF terrorists no longer operate openly on the main roads but have shifted to covert operations, PDFs also released warning to drivers that main road travel will result in mine attacks. Thus, drivers are compelled to use village detours for safety.