The military junta is carrying out a severe blockade of goods in areas controlled by the rebel forces. Trucks heading from Mandalay to Upper Burma and Sagaing Region are being strictly inspected at the Mandalay Swe Taw Car Park. Inspection teams are thoroughly searching all goods and only issuing permits to those who are satisfied, so trucks are waiting in lines at the Swe Taw Car Park overnight. The goods the military junta has restricted from carrying include industrial, electrical, and construction materials, as well as essential medicines and consumer goods. Paracetamol, feminine hygiene products, deodorant, and even a bottle of palm oil cannot be transported freely.
Due to the outbreak of wars and the lack of peace in the region after the military coup, the Mandalay-Shubo-Myitkyina railway line has been closed, and the Mandalay-Bhamo road has been blocked since 2023. Sagaing, Chin, The towns and villages of Upper Burma, such as Kachin and Magway, were no longer able to trade via rail or waterways, and were largely dependent on goods coming through the Sagaing Bridge through Mandalay. In this situation, the military regime, under the guise of combating illegal trade, stepped up its efforts to control the flow of goods into and out of Mandalay, which they still firmly control, and to cut off areas with strong resistance.
