More stringent checks at the junta’s Kywetatson checkpoint on the road between Kalaw Town in Shan State and Thazi Town in Mandalay Region have left thousands of vehicles stranded in long queues.

The checkpoint is in Thazi Township, Mandalay Region on the Kalaw to Thazi road, a key route linking southern Shan State with Mandalay Region.

Citing security reasons, junta soldiers are deploying X-ray scanning machines to thoroughly check passenger vehicles and cargo trucks at the checkpoint. All travellers also have to get out of their vehicles for individual checks, according to a traveller who spoke to SHAN.

This has caused huge delays at the checkpoint as even family cars can be stuck at the checkpoint for up to three hours. It can take cargo trucks two to three days to get through the checkpoint, according to a truck driver.

He said: “The soldiers carry out these checks to prevent weapons smuggling. Some of the vegetables on the trucks became rotten, because the checks took so long. Vehicles leaving Shan State undergo even more thorough inspections.”

Previously, trucks did not face long waits at the Kywetatson checkpoint, but now they often have to wait overnight to pass the checkpoint, causing them significant inconvenience.
Another traveller who spoke to SHAN suggested that drivers going through the checkpoint should avoid carrying perishable goods.

Giving advice to people who will have to pass the checkpoint he said: “If you absolutely need to travel to the area, it’s best not to bring perishable goods. You should also clear your phone of any political content beforehand, as soldiers sometimes take phones for inspection. They tend to be more intimidating if the person being searched seems afraid.”

Travellers along the Kalaw to Thazi road are currently required to present their national identification cards (NICs), junta-issued smart cards, and travel authorization papers issued by junta-appointed administrators at each junta checkpoint on the road.

Junta checkpoints are often more stringent in areas where there is fighting, and residents of such areas frequently have to pay soldiers large bribes to be allowed to pass through the checkpoints without complications.