Myanmar rebels capture town on main road to Chinese-built port

By RFA Burmese2024.11.22

Read RFA coverage of this topic in Burmese.

Updated on Nov. 22, 2024, 02:47 p.m.

Insurgents in western Myanmar have captured a town on a road junction leading to a Chinese-funded deep sea port, which is bound to raise new concern about the fate of an extensive development that includes energy pipelines running from the coast to southern China.

The Myanmar junta that seized power in a 2021 coup has in recent weeks been reinforcing its defenses at the Kyaukpyu economic zone on the coast of Rakhine state, where China is building a port and energy facilities, including its cross-country natural gas and oil pipelines.

Insurgents of the Arakan Army, or AA, which is fighting for self-determination in Rakhine state, have made significant advances against the military over the past year, leaving junta forces confined to ever smaller pockets of territory, including Kyaukpyu.

On Wednesday, AA fighters captured the town of Toungup, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) southwest of Kyaukpyu on the main road links to central and southern parts of the country, after nearly a month of fighting.

“The AA has captured Toungup town and surrounding battalion bases,” a resident of the town, who declined to be identified in fear of reprisals, told Radio Free Asia.

“In the city, the soldiers deserted and the AA is evacuating residents,” said the resident.

Another resident said that junta forces had relocated “about 200 prisoners” held at the Toungup police station to a military base ahead of the AA’s latest push for the town.

Civilians in the crossfire

Junta forces were attacking Toungup with aircraft and artillery and some houses were ablaze, residents said.

An aid worker in Toungup named Nyi Lay Zaw said that military air and artillery strikes had killed 13 civilians and injured more than 30 others in the township.

“The villages with the most casualties are May Za Li, Hpone Nyo, Taung Ywar, Kaing Shey and Thein Taung,” he said.

But residents told RFA that most of the civilian inhabitants of Toungup had fled the fighting to Bago region, Yangon region and other areas under AA control.

One resident who fled to Yangon said that he and others had to walk for 10 days through the mountains because regular roads were blocked by both junta forces and the AA.

“We faced many difficulties on the way amid heavy rains and were very tired,” he said. “We had to summit as many as 30 peaks in extremely dangerous conditions.”

RFA tried to contact both the junta’s spokesperson in Rakhine state, Hla Thein, and the Arakan Army’s spokesperson, Khaing Thukha, to ask about the situation but neither responded by time of publication.

Rebel victories in Rakhine

The AA has dealt the military some of the most devastating setbacks since the 2021 coup, seizing over half of Rakhine state’s townships, naval and military bases and stretches of coast, including foreign development projects.

The AA had been fighting for control over Toungup township since Nov. 4.

The town was home to the military’s last operational command headquarters in Rakhine state, as well as the headquarters of several battalions, including an engineer battalion.

The capture of the town represents the removal of a major obstacle for the AA if it decides to try to capture Kyaukpu, a hub in China’s Belt and Road network of energy and infrastructure projects.

The military has recently been sending reinforcements to Kyaukpyu, insurgent sources and residents said.

The AA is also attacking the military in its last important bases in Rakhine state’s Ann and Gwa towns.

Of Rakhine state’s 17 townships, the AA has captured 10, in addition to one in neighboring Chin state.

Translated by Kiana Duncan. Edited by Joshua Lipes.

This story has been updated to include information about junta forces relocating prisoners, civilian casualties, and the displacement of residents.