Trucks with Chinese license plates have been arriving at the Nam Ma coal mine in Hsipaw Township, Shan State, to transport coal, which is then exported and sold to China via the Chinshwehaw border gate, according to sources.
Since the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) took control of Lashio last year, starting in September, trucks with Chinese license plates have been arriving at the coal mine—operated by Ngwe Yi Pale Company in Hsipaw Township—to load coal and export it to China through the Chinshwehaw gate, locals report.
“They look like sand trucks. They load coal from the Nam Ma side, exit via Nam Pawng, and then head toward Lashio. The trucks are fully loaded with coal. They drive so fast that it feels dangerous. In just half an hour, I saw about 20 coal trucks pass right in front of me,” said a driver operating the Lashio-Taunggyi route.
The primary company mining at the Nam Ma coal mine in Hsipaw Township is Ngwe Yi Pale Company, which has been conducting operations since 2004. Other businesses, including Hay Hein Company and Min Shwe Hlwar Company—a subsidiary of the Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC) under the military junta—have also engaged in mining activities there.
The trucks transporting coal from the Nam Ma mine travel from Lashio to Theinni, then proceed along the Theinni-Kun Long-Chinshwehaw highway, passing through the MNDAA-controlled Chinshwehaw border gate to sell the coal on the Chinese side, sources say.
Along this route, coal-laden trucks travel almost daily. Unlike other passenger vehicles, they are not required to stop and report at the Kokang forces’ checkpoints, allowing them to pass through the gates with ease, according to a local woman from Theinni.
“Ever since the Kokang army took over, coal trucks have been moving all day long. They don’t have to stop and report like ordinary people do at the checkpoints. The trucks have Chinese license plates. If you sit and watch, about 10 trucks pass by in just a short time,” the Theinni resident said.
Since November 2024, when China reopened the MNDAA-controlled Chinshwehaw border gate, exports of industrial raw materials such as sugarcane, corn, and coal have been permitted. However, food items are only allowed in limited quantities, according to border traders.
“China only allows imports; exports are still completely restricted. Sugarcane, corn, and coal are permitted, but I don’t know where the coal is going—whether it’s China or Wa State, I can’t say. The set weight limit is 35 tons per truck. Trucks from China can pass through the gate directly, but Myanmar trucks have to switch loads at Chinshwehaw,” explained a male trader from Chinshwehaw.
Similarly, coal mined by Ngwe Yi Pale Company in the Wan Pang and Nar Hoke village tracts of Tanyang Township is being exported to China through border gates controlled by the United Wa State Army (UWSA), according to local residents.
Sent by Shan News.
