The informal ceasefire has produced a welcome lull in fighting between the Military Council and the Arakan Army (AA ), but it has made little difference to the regime’s blocking many transportation routes in the upper areas of Paletwa township, where there used to be fierce conflict in the past. This trade blockade has inflicted great hardship on the locals.

Since July the Military Council closed the routes from upper Paletwa in Chin State, connected to the Indian border.

A resident of Tarunaing (Ywarthit), a village in the region, said, "Even during the ceasefire, traffic is still not allowed in our Paletwa township. We cannot travel between Paletwa and Tarunaing. The Chinletwa-Tarunaing, Myeikwa-Tarunaing routes are still blockedas well. Now people are facing livelihood problems because of this blockade that prevents the arrival of medicine. The routes above Paletwa, where waterways are mainly used for transportation, have also remained by the Military Council troops based in Doe Chaung and Tarunaing locals said.

A healthcare worker who did not want to be named commented “ Due to the blocking of waterways, local health and education staff have repeatedly written to request that the routes be reopened, but nothing has changed. “

“Staff from Chinletwa, Myeikwa and Tarunaing have reported many times about the difficulties they are facing, but the routes are still blocked. They have reopened the Kyauktaw-Paletwa route. We want the waterways to be reopened as soon as possible here”, she told Narinjara.