Junta soldiers have been increasing inspections and demanding money at checkpoints along the road connecting the townships of Kyaukme and Lowksawk (Yatsauk) in Shan State.

Since the beginning of January 2025 inspections at the checkpoints have become more thorough and the junta soldiers’ demands for money have become more aggressive, according to a woman who regularly travels through the checkpoints.

She said to SHAN: “There are around 20 junta checkpoints along the road. The soldiers usually ask for 5,000 MMK from each passenger. At some checkpoints, they ask for up to 10,000 MMK. Also, when there are too many checkpoints, it makes travellers feel insecure.”

This was confirmed by another traveller who had witnessed such checks and seen that passengers are often required to present documents such as national identification cards (NICs) and travel permits at the junta checkpoints, where their phones are also examined.

She said: “Soldiers would order passengers on buses and cars to get off and ask them questions. They often conducted thorough checks of their phones, carefully inspecting the photos. They didn’t accept excuses, even if passengers had already been checked at previous checkpoints. The investigations were very detailed, and the soldiers would ask passengers about anything they wanted to know.”

After being subjected to these checkpoint inspections along the road, travellers from Kyaukme to Lawksawk are subjected to even more strict inspections at Bahtoo Town, a major military towns in Lawksawk Township, just outside Lawksawk Town.

Large cargo trucks going north, from Lawksawk to Kyaukme are also facing stricter inspections and are only allowed to pass the checkpoints if they pay random sums of money decided on the spot by the junta soldiers carrying out the inspections.

During January 2025, there was fighting between the junta and the Danu People’s Liberation Army (DPLA) in Lawksawk Township, during which the junta fired artillery.