Myanmar Navy warships and boats began patrolling the Irrawaddy River around Mandalay city on Wednesday in response to resistance advances, according to residents.
“Warships and speedboats have never patrolled the [cityside] river before, but they are now patrolling from Gaw Wein Jetty to Thayet Tapin Jetty,” said a resident who lives near Mandalay’s Mayan Chan Jetty.
“Before this, heavily armed junta soldiers were conducting frequent checks on vessels at jetties.”
The regime has imposed tight checks on vehicles at three entrances east and north of Myanmar’s second city since June 26. It has also deployed large numbers of guards on Mandalay ring roads and is conducting frequent patrols in the city.
A riverside position and dockyard west of Mandalay have also been reinforced with troops since June 26, said residents.
Vessels from Madaya Township to the north have been banned from docking at the city’s Nyaun Kwe Jetty and ordered to moor to nearby trees instead. Junta soldiers check boat owners’ citizenship ID, household registration certificates and ward residency letters. Owners must also mark their boats with their village name and a code provided by junta personnel, according to locals.
Around 20 junta soldiers deployed at Mayan Chan Jetty have ordered boat owners to report any arrivals from Mogoke and banned them from transporting food including rice to Mogoke and further north.
The Irrawaddy reached out to Mandalay Region junta spokesman Thein Htay for comment but got no reply.
The reinforcement of Mandalay comes after the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and allies resumed anti-regime Operation 1027 on the border of northern Shan State and Mandalay Region on June 25.
Since then, fighting has spread from Nawnghkio, Kyaukme and Mogoke townships to Madaya and Patheingyi townships north of Mandalay city, where the junta’s Central Command is based.
Mandalay city has eight jetties strung along a 16-kilometer stretch of the river between Amarapura and Aungmyaythazan. The jetties are used to transport everything from basic food to clothing and cosmetics to Yangon, Monywa, Shwebo, Thabbeikyin, Shwegu, Katha, Tigyaing, Bhamo, Myitkyina and other trade hubs.
