Yedashe township

 

 

BAGO REGION — The dense teak forests of the Bago Yoma mountain range, long coveted by loggers, are disappearing at an alarming pace — a casualty not just of greed, but of Myanmar’s ongoing civil war.

 

Once protected by a 10-year logging moratorium imposed in 2016, the region is now being stripped bare as both junta forces and resistance groups exploit timber as a vital source of income. The military coup in 2021 unleashed lawlessness that timber traders and armed groups are profiting from, residents and fighters told Frontier Myanmar.

 

“It’s the worst it’s ever been,” said one farmer from Yedashe Township. Trucks laden with teak rumble down the mountains daily, while local villagers are paid to haul logs by ox cart for middlemen brokers.

 

Both Sides to Blame

The chaos following the coup has allowed a surge in illegal logging, with enforcement almost nonexistent. Armed resistance groups like People’s Defence Forces (PDFs), operating under the National Unity Government (NUG), are reportedly both participating in and taxing timber operations. Some PDF units claim to be raising funds for arms and supplies; others may be enriching themselves.

 

A NUG environmental official admitted the group is struggling to control the trade, though denied authorizing logging. One PDF battalion even falsely claimed NUG approval to oversee timber operations.

 

“The theft of natural resources is a natural result of this instability,” the official said.

 

Profiting Through “Gate Fees”

Trucks carrying sawed teak are charged up to K1.2 million per trip at PDF checkpoints. At junta gates, the tolls are lower. Traders also pay smaller fees for ox-cart transport or motorcycles.

 

The profits are enormous — one truck of processed teak can yield up to K7.5 million (about $3,500) in profit. Yet much of the remaining timber is of low quality, as the largest, oldest trees have already been logged.

 

A Dangerous Game

PDF units facilitating logging may be undermining their own fight. “Instead of attacking the junta, some are focused on timber profits,” said one PDF member. Roads cleared for transporting timber also risk enabling military incursions into rebel-held areas.

 

Infighting among anti-junta forces has also erupted over logging profits. In one case, a commander was accused of murdering rival PDF members and civilians under the pretext of stopping corruption and illegal logging.

 

Limited Enforcement, Rising Risks

The NUG claims to have seized over 37,000 tonnes of illegally harvested timber since the coup, and says it is issuing guidelines and fines rather than jail time for local loggers.

 

Still, efforts remain piecemeal. Some resistance fighters say they educate loggers rather than detain them, stressing the environmental consequences of deforestation — like increased flooding risk, already seen during Typhoon Yagi’s aftermath.

 

But the forest is vanishing fast. “If this reckless logging continues,” the farmer in Yedashe said, “the Bago Yoma will be gone.”

 

-2025-06-14

 

All every twig going to China