National Highway 3: A Strategic Prize in Myanmar’s Civil War
A Year of Defiance
Winding through the lawless, rugged hills of northern Myanmar, National Highway 3 links a stunning series of victories by ethnic rebels and pro-democracy fighters in their war against the junta.
Securing Control
An offensive launched a year ago has seen opponents of the military seize much of the 480-kilometre-long (300-mile) route that connects second city Mandalay to China, Myanmar’s biggest trade partner. Control of the road denies the junta lucrative taxes, threatens its bases in the central plains, and is a huge morale booster for its opponents as the civil war grinds through its fourth year.
Muse: A Key Location
The route begins at Muse, a town of ill-repute pressed up against the border with China. Each morning, hundreds of locals queue for day passes to cross into China to buy medicine and consumer goods that can be re-sold back in Myanmar. More than $2 billion worth of trade passed through Muse in the 2023-2024 financial year, according to the junta’s commerce ministry. Analysts say much more goes through off the books.
Risks and Rewards
But following the rebels’ spectacular advance, venturing into the hinterland from Muse requires some savvy — and cash — said Aung Gyi, a driver. "We’re OK if we can negotiate when we meet with ethnic rebel soldiers on roads and they ask for money," he said, asking to use a pseudonym.
Kutkai: A Town Scoured by War
Around an hour from Muse was a checkpoint manned by soldiers from the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), one of the rebel groups behind last year’s offensive. Around 30 kilometres further on is the town of Kutkai, infamous for the production of methamphetamine and normally home to around 50,000 people. The fighting that has pushed the military out has scattered many of its residents and scarred the town. Rubble littered across an open patch of ground was all that remained of the main market, flattened by a military airstrike.
Lashio: A City in Ruin
Roughly halfway along the highway, the city of Lashio embodies the biggest defeat the junta has suffered since it seized power in 2021. Its four-lane toll gate was riddled with bullet holes and several panels were hanging loose, remnants of fierce fighting for the city where around 150,000 people lived before the offensive. Lashio was famous as the terminus of the "Burma Road" built by the British using local labour to supply Chinese forces battling Japanese invaders during the Second World War. Now it is the prize of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), an ethnic Chinese rebel group.
The Road Ahead
The MNDAA is working to install a civilian administration it hopes will tempt residents to return to the city. The military is trying to keep people away, and on Wednesday launched its latest airstrike on Lashio, according to local media and a rescue group. Near the end of National Highway 3, the former British hill station of Pyin Oo Lwin is still in the hands of the military. The road passes grand houses of teak and brick and the military’s elite officer training academy.
Conclusion
National Highway 3 has become a strategic prize in Myanmar’s civil war, as rebels and pro-democracy fighters push against the junta in a bid to redraw the country’s political landscape. As the war grinds on, the road has become a vital artery, denying the junta taxes and threatening its grip on power.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is National Highway 3?
National Highway 3 is a 480-kilometre-long road that connects Mandalay to China, Myanmar’s biggest trade partner.
- Who controls the road?
Rebel groups and pro-democracy fighters have seized much of the road, pushing the military out of key locations.
- What is the significance of Lashio?
Lashio is a city in northern Myanmar that has been a key location in the war, with the military and rebels vying for control. Its four-lane toll gate was riddled with bullet holes and several panels were hanging loose, remnants of fierce fighting.
- What is the outlook for the war?
The war in Myanmar is expected to continue, with the military and rebels vying for control of key locations and resources. The road has become a strategic prize in the conflict.