Though the residents of Ei Nai Village in Lashio Township, are already facing economic hardships they now face the additional challenge of paying a vehicle tax being imposed by the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA).

The TNLA checkpoint in Ei Nai Village, to the west of Lashio Town, has been imposing annual vehicle tax charges since early October. The amount charged depends on the vehicle, for instance the annual tax charged for a Hijet mini truck has been 100,000 kyats (MMK) a year and for cars it has been 150,000 kyats a year, according to a woman from Ei Nai Village in Lashio Township.

She said: “The tax varies depending on the vehicle. They charge 150,000 MMK for Toyota [Wish] cars and 100,000 MMK for Hijets. They’ve been collecting [taxes] for about two weeks now. They say they are collecting [taxes] according to what was decided by their headquarters. It would be better if they waited until next year to collect taxes. Now, the situation is extremely chaotic, especially during wartime.”

Locals are also upset that the TNLA are charging a full year’s vehicle tax when there are only just over two months of the year left, meaning that they will have to again pay another year’s vehicle tax in January 2025.

A Lashio Township resident explained that Lashio Township residents are having difficulties paying these vehicle taxes because they are suffering economic hardship due to the fighting in the area.

They said: “At a time when the people are already suffering from military conflicts and struggling to meet their basic needs, these taxes shouldn’t be imposed. It’s unreasonable to expect people to pay taxes when they haven’t even reached the rehabilitation stage. They say it’s for the whole year, but they’re just starting to collect now and there are only about two months left until the end of the year.”

SHAN tried to speak to the TNLA spokesperson, Lway Yay Oo, about the vehicle taxes being charged in Ei Nai Village, but received no response.

Since the beginning of the second phase of Operation 1027, on 9 July 2024, China has closed all border crossings to territory controlled by members of the Three Brotherhood Alliance. This has led to a shortage of medicine and a sharp increase in commodity prices in Northern Shan State, according to locals.

Lashio Town and Lashio Township villages to the east of the town are controlled by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), whilst the Lashio Township villages to the north and west of Lashio Town are controlled by the TNLA.