SAGAING DIVISION – Battles have been happening on the Kalay-Tamu route, the main road connecting the town of Tamu at the India-Myanmar border in Sagaing Division to lower Myanmar, since mid-June for nearly three months.
As the route has been blocked off for three months, there is a shortage of food and fuel in Tamu and the residents are in trouble and would like the route to be reopened, said a local man.
“Tamu has been blocked off. It has been blocked from the land as well as the naval routes. There is a shortage of goods and because the neighbouring country is also facing racial politic issues, the residents are in a lot of trouble. If possible, we want the Tamu-Kalay road to reopen as soon as possible,” said the local.
The closed off town has seen tremendous rise in rice and cooking oil prices and fuel is near impossible to purchase. In addition, it is said that even essential cooking ingredients such as tomato, cabbage and egg are running low on stock.
Regarding the status of the road, a resident PDF soldier commented, “We would issue a notice requesting to not use the road when there is a battle and allow them passage when the battle’s over. But junta forces would shoot at the vehicles on the road and so people dare not use the road.”
The junta regime, as usual, has not commented on the situation.
Tamu borders Manipur State of India. The town constitutes four wards: Sandaku, Zaytan, Sawbwar and Myoma, and has a population of around 60,000.
