Port town Paletwa falls to rebels posing a threat to Kaladhan transport project

The Kaladhan Multi Modal project to provide connectivity to the North Eastern states from Kolkata port through Myanmar suffered a major set-back when Myanmar’s Port town of Paletwa an important component of the project fell into the hands of Arakan army an ethnic armed group operating in Western Myanmar’s Rakhine state

A spokesperson for the Arakan Army (AA) revealed that they had seized control of Paletwa, a strategically important port town on the Kaladan River, crucial for trade with neighboring countries.“Regarding border stability issues, we will cooperate at our best with neighboring countries,” Arakan army spokesman was quoted by British news agencyReuters adding that the group will take over administration and law enforcement in the area

Under the ambitious Kaladhan Multi modal project cargo loaded at Kolkata port will be unloaded at Sitwe port in Myanmar constructed with India’s assistance. The cargo then loaded in barges sail through the Kaladanriver via Paletwa port before reaching the Mizoram border. India has since constructed roads from the border to other North-Eastern states.

Arakan army take-over of Paletwa marks another setback for the military government, which is currently grappling with rebellions across various regions of the country.Myanmar is currently witnessing a multifaceted insurgency, where anti-junta groups, supported by a pro-democracy parallel government, have managed to gain control of numerous military installations and towns. This uprising poses the most significant challenge to the junta since its coup against the elected government in 2021.

The fall of Paletwa in the west comes after another rebel group in the Three Brotherhood Alliance took Laukkai town on the in northern Shan State on the border with China.