Myanmar’s military junta and the ethnic Karen insurgency, the Karen National Union (KNU) has refused to reopen a critical section of the Asian Highway linking Myanmar and Thailand, citing concerns over potential military advances. The highway, a vital economic and strategic route, has been closed for almost a year following intensified conflict between the Karen armed groups and Myanmar’s military, worsening the humanitarian and economic situation in the region.
The Asian Highway, an essential corridor for trade and transportation, runs from Myawaddy on the Thai border to Tamu, on the western Myanmar-India border. A key hour-long stretch of the highway between Kawkareik and Myawaddy in Karen State has been closed since December 2023, when the KNU and its allies launched an attack on Kawkareik, a strategically important town controlled by the military junta. The closure has caused significant disruptions to trade between Myanmar and Thailand, with widespread implications for local economies on both sides of the border.
The Karen National Union, Myanmar’s oldest ethnic armed group, has been a central player in the fight against the military regime for decades, long before the coup of 2021 that plunged the country into deeper chaos. While the KNU has consistently opposed the military junta, other Karen armed groups—such as the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) and the Karen National Liberation Army-Peace Council (KNLA-PC)—have entered into ceasefire agreements and maintain working relationships with the regime.
The military junta in Nay Pyi Taw and the Thai government have both repeatedly called for the reopening of the highway, stressing that it would reduce the price of essential goods, including food and fuel, which have skyrocketed due to the road closure. However, KNU Brigade 6, which controls parts of Karen State including the closed section of the highway, remains firm in its decision to keep the road shut.
The KNU’s primary concern is that reopening the road could give the junta a tactical advantage. Myawaddy, a border town with significant economic and strategic value, has been a flashpoint in the ongoing conflict. The junta, which has struggled to maintain control over ethnic regions since the 2021 coup, has been pushing to reopen the highway as part of its broader strategy to strengthen its foothold in Karen State.
A source familiar with the internal discussions told The Irrawaddy, a Myanmar-focused news outlet, that the KNU leaders are deeply worried that allowing the highway to reopen would facilitate the junta’s military operations. “The highway is not just a trade route; it’s a lifeline for military logistics. Reopening it now would give the regime a clear pathway to Myawaddy, jeopardizing KNU positions,” the source explained.
Despite calls for negotiations, the September meeting between the KNU and other ethnic armed groups resulted in a stalemate. “Saw Chit Thu [leader of the Border Guard Force, or BGF, an ally of the junta] urged for the highway’s reopening, but KNU commanders refused,” the source added. The BGF, which splintered from the KNU in the late 1990s, now works alongside the military junta, operating militia checkpoints and controlling key territories in Karen State.
The KNU’s decision reflects its broader strategy of leveraging the highway’s closure to maintain its territorial hold while preventing military encroachment. The group’s refusal underscores its deep mistrust of the military junta and concerns that reopening the highway could facilitate the movement of junta forces, which have struggled to maintain control in Karen State and other ethnic territories.
The closure of the Asian Highway has had a profound impact on the civilian population and local businesses. Civilians and transport companies have been forced to rely on alternative routes, many of which are in poor condition and pass through militia-controlled areas. These detours are not only slower but also more dangerous, with travelers forced to pay tolls to armed groups controlling the roads.
Reports from The Irrawaddy indicate that there are at least 40 checkpoints manned by various armed factions on two alternative routes to the border. Approximately 1,000 vehicles use these routes daily, paying fees to multiple militia groups, including the KNU and its allies. While these tolls provide financial support to the Karen armed groups, they have severely inflated transportation costs, further straining an already fragile local economy.
Local businesses, particularly those in border towns like Myawaddy, have reported significant losses due to the road closure. Many traders have been unable to transport goods efficiently across the border, leading to shortages of essential items and a rise in prices. Civilians, already burdened by the country’s ongoing political and economic turmoil, now face increased food insecurity as prices for basic goods continue to rise.
The Thai government, concerned about the spillover effects on its own economy and security, has also pushed for the highway’s reopening. Mae Sot, the Thai border town opposite Myawaddy, has seen a decline in cross-border trade and increased pressure on local resources due to the influx of refugees from Myanmar. Thai authorities have urged both the KNU and the military junta to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict, though efforts to mediate have so far been unsuccessful.
The closure of the Asian Highway is emblematic of the broader military and political dynamics in Myanmar’s ongoing civil war. Since the February 2021 coup, which ousted the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, the country has been in a state of continuous conflict, with the military regime fighting multiple fronts against ethnic armed groups and the anti-junta People’s Defense Force (PDF).
Karen State, where the highway is located, has long been a battleground between the KNU and the Myanmar military, and the situation has only worsened since the coup. The junta has faced growing resistance in ethnic areas, where groups like the KNU have seized the opportunity to expand their territorial control and strengthen their military capabilities. This has left the junta heavily reliant on its allies, including the Border Guard Force and other Karen militias like the DKBA and KNLA-PC, to maintain a semblance of control in these regions.
These alliances, however, are not without tensions. While groups like the DKBA and KNLA-PC have signed ceasefire agreements with the regime, their support for the junta has been transactional, driven by promises of economic concessions and local autonomy rather than ideological alignment. As the conflict drags on, these groups may find themselves under increasing pressure from both sides, potentially fracturing the fragile alliances that the military junta relies on to maintain its hold on ethnic regions.
At the same time, the KNU, which has positioned itself as a leading force in the resistance against the junta, has sought to strengthen its alliances with other ethnic armed groups and the PDF. This growing collaboration has allowed the KNU to launch more coordinated offensives against the military, further complicating the junta’s efforts to regain control of Karen State.
The standoff over the Asian Highway reflects the intractable nature of Myanmar’s conflict. The KNU’s refusal to reopen the road highlights the deep mistrust between ethnic armed groups and the military junta, as well as the strategic importance of controlling key infrastructure in the ongoing civil war. With neither side willing to back down, the closure of the highway is likely to continue, further exacerbating the humanitarian and economic crisis in the region.
For civilians, the continued closure of the highway presents an ongoing struggle for access to essential goods and services. Unless a compromise is reached, the people of Karen State, as well as those in neighboring Thai border towns, will continue to bear the brunt of the conflict’s economic fallout.
Efforts to negotiate a peaceful resolution have so far yielded little progress, and the situation on the ground remains volatile. Sporadic clashes between the KNU and junta forces, including recent skirmishes reported in late September, indicate that the conflict is far from over. As long as the military junta remains determined to maintain control over Karen State, and the KNU continues to resist, the prospects for reopening the Asian Highway—and by extension, achieving peace in the region—remain uncertain.
The Karen National Union’s refusal to reopen the Asian Highway underscores the deeply entrenched nature of the conflict in Myanmar’s ethnic regions. While the military junta and its allies push for reopening the road to facilitate trade and reduce prices, the KNU remains resolute, viewing the road as a potential threat to its territorial integrity. The closure has left civilians and businesses in limbo, exacerbating the economic hardships caused by the ongoing civil war. Until a resolution is reached, the standoff over the Asian Highway will remain a microcosm of the broader struggle for control in Myanmar.
