PDF presence turns short Shwebo–Seikkhun route into a day-long journey
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Phyo/ Pearl (NP News)- Nov 3
The distance between Shwebo and Seik Khun Road is just over an hour drive, but the PDFs take up all day, according to information from locals who contacted NP News.
In recent days, PDF groups have blocked the Shwebo-Sagaing road by cutting down trees and piling stones, preventing the use of the road, so people have been forced to use the Shwebo-Saikkhun road to travel to Shwebo.
“Travel on the Shwebo–Sagaing road has become impossible. The Shwebo–Seikkhun road is heavily blocked. It’s now the only entrance and exit route. The trip from Shwebo to Seikkhun used to take just about half an hour, but now it sometimes takes the whole day, or even requires an overnight stay. In the past, the Tatmadaw allowed travel on that road from 6 am to 6 pm, but now it’s from 5 am to 8 pm. The PDFs, on the other hand, only permit travel between 7 am and 5 pm. There hasn’t been a single day when the road was completely open. Every day, around 400 to 500 vehicles pass through it. At each PDF checkpoint, they collect money and check vehicle registrations. The small passenger car drivers don’t pay much, but for cargo trucks, each checkpoint costs them around 100,000 kyats. With about 20 checkpoints along the route, that’s roughly two million kyats per trip. The Shwebo–Sagaing road has been closed for about nine or ten days now, so all traffic has shifted to the Shwebo–Seikkhun road. The roads are also starting to deteriorate,” he added.
The Shwebo-Seikkhun road is about 11 miles long and has one Tatmadaw security gate, but there are around 20 PDF gates, which inspect tourist vehicles and collect tolls.
Therefore, it is expected that Tatmadaw security teams will clear the PDF gates on the Shwebo-Seikkhun road to make it easier for locals to travel.
“There are about 20 PDF gates along the route. There is a military gate at the exit of Shwebo. There is Obo village in front of it. From there, there are PDF gates all the way to Seikkhun. The locals want the area to be cleared. If this road is good, the economy, society, and health will be good. Now, it is not good. If any health issue arises, we will be just left to die. We can’t afford anything. It would be better if the Shwebo-Sagaing road was opened,” he continued. –