The Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s military regime has reopened a vital stretch of the Asian Highway linking the border town of Myawaddy with Hpa-an, the capital of Karen State, after more than two years of closure. The road, once a lifeline for cross-border trade with Thailand worth over a billion dollars annually, had been shut due to fierce clashes between junta forces and ethnic resistance groups.

The reopening, announced on Thursday, allows private cars to travel the 132-kilometre route. But trucks carrying imports and exports remain barred, leaving warehouses in Myawaddy stacked with goods and business owners frustrated. “Only private cars are allowed right now. Our truck cannot use that road yet,” one logistics operator told local media, adding that dozens of shipments remain stranded.

Despite the lifting of roadblocks, fighting continues near Kawkareik and Kyondoe, two towns along the route. Locals say the danger is far from over. “No one dares to travel that road so soon after the reopening,” a resident explained. “Even now, they [regime forces] dare not travel on the road.”

The contested highway has been a flashpoint since late 2023, when Karen armed groups banned public use of a 31-km segment. Resistance forces seized control in April 2024 before the junta recaptured it in September 2025. Seven months later, the military is keen to show progress, but Karen fighters insist they retain the ability to strike at any time.

For traders, the uncertainty is crippling. With the main route blocked, importers have relied on rough mountain passes, paying hefty tolls to junta-allied militias. Truck drivers report charges of up to US$2,100 per journey, alongside constant security risks.

Thailand, one of Myanmar’s largest trading partners, is watching closely. Bilateral trade reached nearly US$6 billion last year, but the closure of the highway and the No. 2 Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge has disrupted flows. Thai and Myanmar officials met in March to discuss reopening the bridge and stabilising the border, though progress remains slow.

The reopening of the highway is as much about optics as logistics. Analysts say the junta wants to project control and shift blame for any renewed violence onto resistance groups.

For now, the road is open in name only, with businesses and residents waiting to see if it can truly be secured.

-2026-04-03

Let us hope the Burmese armed resistance groups will close it again!!

just cause burma opened, does not mean thailand will open the border