According to IMNA’s field reporters, the Karen Peace Force (KPF) and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) have collectively created four more checkpoints on the motor highway that stretches between Mudon Township in Mon State, and Winyaw Seikgyi in Karen State.
A four-wheeled passenger-transport vehicle driver interviewed by IMNA reports that the KPF and the DKBA have each created two more checkpoints on the stretch of road between the villages of Taunggale and Kale Tagundaing in Karen State. Both villages lie in territory troubled by recent infighting between Karen rebel groups.
The driver, who told IMNA that he has been transporting passengers along the highway from Winyaw Seikgyi to Mudon Township for six years, said “That highway had 13 check points in last year. Currently it has 17 check points. Even when we carry passengers the whole way, we do not make a profit, because of the increasing the checkpoints from armed groups. Only the armed groups with their checkpoints profit.”
The driver explained to IMNA that the 17 checkpoints are run by the Burmese Military or different Mon and Karen ethnic armed groups. Each of the groups tax drivers depending on the amount of passengers or goods that they carry.
“The check points are increasing year by year. The new checkpoints from the KPF and the DKBA are very close, no so far from each other. They just launched, and already they are collecting taxes [from drivers],” the driver IMNA interview stated.
IMNA’s source explained that drivers have to pay 500 kyat at each of the Burmese soldiers’ check points, 2,500 kyat at each of the New Mon State Party (NMSP) checkpoints, 1,000 kyat at each of the to KPF checkpoints, and 3,500 to 4,000 kyat at each of the DKBA checkpoints. Reportedly, the DKBA is notorious for taxing far more on passengers and goods than the other groups mentioned.
The highway checkpoints are reportedly more troublesome to travelers during the summer season, when the majority of journeyers travel via the highway due to low water levels in rivers; during the rainy season, the Winyaw Seikgyi river is used as the primary method of transportation in area, although the river-route is plagued by checkpoints as well, and is a far slower means of transport.
According to a highway traveler in the midst of passing through the checkpoints, “It doesn’t take as much time on the motor highway. Travelers can go from Mudon to Winyaw Seikgyi and from Winyaw Seikgyi to Mudon. Travelers on the highway only have to spend one day traveling from Winyaw Seikgyi to Mudon. Passengers travel more in summer than in rainy season”.
