Aug 2, 2026
Local drivers and travelers report that the military junta has reopened the Kalay-Tamu Asian Highway in Sagaing Region.
The Kalay-Tamu road, a major Myanmar-India border trade route, had been closed for nearly four years following the military coup before being reopened
on September 1.
A military source analyzed that while the junta previously relied solely on airdrops for supplies in the region, the reopened road now allows armored vehicles, tanks, and heavy military trucks to pass through, enabling them to easily launch offensives into Chin State.
“Everyone knows why they opened it. Under the current situation, they have cut right through revolutionary territory. They are in direct contact with Chin State now. Once they can control the territory, forced conscription won’t be difficult anymore. They had been pushing extremely hard to open the road even before June,” the source said.
Since the reopening, the junta has been recruiting for militias in villages along the route. Reports also indicate the military council will establish a permanent battalion in Khampat to prevent delays in sending reinforcements from Kalay to Tamu.
Before the military coup, India-Myanmar trade through Tamu border posts generated between $100 million and $150 million annually. Reopening the route is aimed at securing these trade benefits for the financially weakened military council.
Furthermore, political benefits are involved, as junta chief Min Aung Hlaing signed an agreement during a trip to India regarding the trilateral highway project that will run from Moreh, India, through central Myanmar, down to Mae Sot, Thailand.
“Displaced people are also returning. Since the road opened, many people are traveling as a test run. But there are also many checkpoints,” a resident living along the Kalay-Tamu road said.
Drivers warn that numerous checkpoints have been set up along the route, with authorities extorting hundreds of thousands of Kyats in gate fees. Due to strict inspections, travelers are urged to carry their national ID cards and travel recommendation letters.
To reopen the road as quickly as possible, the military council launched a two-pronged offensive from Kalay and Tamu starting June 7. With the support of airstrikes, they managed to fully capture the route by early August.
(Photo – Thang Let Dawla Facebook, Social Media)
