Truckers left hanging after an important Burmese-Chinese trade route is closed.
A Burmese border crossing with China was closed yesterday due to security concerns, frustrating truckers, whose lorries laden with fruit were backed up along the border waiting to cross into China.
“There are over 1,200 fruit trucks lined up on the road and it’s blocking the road. We demand the Panghsai border gate to be opened,” said Aung Kyaw Moe, a local businessman based in the Burmese border town Muse where the incident happened.
Shutting down the Jieng Xian Jao border gate is hurting business, he said. While truckers wait to cross their fruit is ripening. When they sell it they will get lower prices.
Jieng Xian Jao border checkpoint connects with the Chinese town, Wang Deng.
Chinese officials have informed Chinese businesses in Ruili (also Shweli) they are closely monitoring the situation and taking appropriate security measures. Travelers have been warned of delays.
Anyone entering China is being fingerprinted by Chinese border agents.
At this point in time its unknown if the border closure was related to an incident that happened at the beginning of the month. Three members of a Namkham people’s militia force were killed and two wounded after an unknown armed group attacked them near the Jieng Xian Jao border gate on the evening of December 2.
