Myanmar Spring Chronicle – November 11, 2024
(From Moemaka) November 12, 2024
China’s Increasing Border Blockades on Trade and Its Impact on Myanmar’s Ethnic Armed Groups
The Chinese government has been implementing tighter border restrictions over the past two months, with the aim of halting the ongoing clashes between ethnic armed groups along its border with Myanmar and the military junta. This move includes closing border trade gates and imposing trade limitations, targeting groups such as the TNLA, MNDAA, and KIA, which are based in Myanmar’s northern regions. Among the three main ethnic armed groups in the northern part of Myanmar, the AA (Arakan Army) is not directly affected by the blockade as its operations are outside the China-Myanmar border regions.
These restrictions are not only aimed at blocking trade with armed groups but also target ethnic areas that have close relationships with one another, particularly in the Wa and Myingla regions. The Chinese government believes that through economic pressure, they can influence Myanmar’s ethnic armed groups to follow Beijing’s path.
The regions affected by these trade restrictions are primarily in northern Myanmar, including Kachin State, parts of Shan State in the north and east, where valuable resources like jade, gold, and timber are extracted. These areas are also home to Chinese-led illegal mining operations and online money-laundering schemes that affect local communities. These resources, while highly profitable for Chinese companies and traders, are now subject to these growing border restrictions.
The Chinese government, in cooperation with the Myanmar military, is employing trade blockades to reduce the flow of these materials to Myanmar’s ethnic armed groups, while pressuring them economically. While these measures could harm Myanmar’s ethnic armed groups, the real victims of the intensified blockades are the local civilians who rely on these goods for survival. In regions where agriculture and trade have been severely affected by ongoing conflicts, civilians are facing significant hardship due to the skyrocketing prices of basic necessities like rice, medicine, and fuel.
The blockade has severely impacted the availability of everyday goods, with locals struggling to afford medicine, food, and fuel, especially as the prices of essential items soar. In particular, rice prices have sharply increased, further compounding the struggles of people in the central and northern regions of Myanmar. With the added challenge of border closures and the military junta’s interference in trade, civilians are finding it increasingly difficult to access the necessary resources to survive.
These developments raise the question of how the ethnic armed groups, who are already under military pressure, can continue to protect their people and resolve the humanitarian crisis in these areas. The junta and the Chinese government’s strategy of tightening economic control has caused severe distress among civilians, who now face the brunt of these border restrictions. The situation has forced people to adapt in ways never seen before, with significant challenges to daily survival.
As the Chinese government continues its trade restrictions and blockades, it remains to be seen how these measures will impact Myanmar’s ethnic armed groups and the local populations they serve. The international community will likely be watching to see whether these policies succeed in achieving China’s strategic goals or if they result in further destabilization and suffering for the people of Myanmar.