MYANMAR- It is known that the deputy military leader Soe Win has secretly instructed to effectively control the traffic through the border gates and other routes controlled by the ethnic armed groups, according to Naypyidaw Anti-Illegal Trade Committee.
“Since there is a lot of illegal trade coming in/out from border gates and other routes during this period, the number of arrests should also increase every month. This must be noted in each State and Division,” The Anti-Illegal Trade Committee issued a secret directive on August 10 with the official letter No. TAKAKA/ 01/ 02/ 2024 (0881) on the instructions of Deputy Military Chief Soe Win.
In July 2024, the anti-illegal trade committee reported the situation of arrests nationwide to the group’s President, Soe Win, the second leader of the terrorist military coup regime. Soe Win commented that as there is a larger number of illegal trades, there must be a higher number of arrests per month.
“I was asked to submit the list of arrests every month to the Committee of the Anti-Illegal Trade Organization on the 1st of each month and report it directly to the Vice leader Soe Win. As the arrests made in July are lesser, Soe Win ordered to arrest more in August,” explained a source from the Nay Pyi Taw Anti-Illegal Trade Special Force.
After the military council lost the border gates, they are trying various ways to cut off the flow of traffic and goods coming from these border gates. The military council is concerned that the financial strength of the ethnic armed groups will become stronger and gain more power if the border trade (through their territory) cannot be prevented.
