Extortion at the Ahbit checkpoint on the Ahbit – KaleTagundaing road in Mudon Township, Mon state, has worsened, with drivers and travelers saying that people travelling from outside the area are increasingly being forced to pay money.
Although there were previously arrangements and negotiations with drivers, passengers are now being checked individually, and long-distance travelers are reportedly being required to pay at least 20,000 kyats per person, according to a driver who operates along the route.
“If they don’t pay, they are subjected to lengthy checks and questioning. Passengers pay the amount being demanded because they are afraid that their journeys will be delayed. In the past, it was possible to discuss and negotiate. Now, if someone has an ID card showing that they are from outside the area, the charge is 20,000 kyats. The passengers themselves have to pay that money,” the driver said.
Long-distance travelers are reportedly questioned not only about their identity documents, but also about the reasons for their travel destinations and the circumstances of their journeys. They are allowed to continue their trips only after making the payment.
As a result, travelers are spending more than their expected travel costs and are facing delays because they are subjected to lengthy checks and questioning, a traveler using the route said.
“Local drivers do not really want to take people from outside the area. They avoid them because they do not want to have trouble at the Ahbit checkpoint. In the past, drivers charged long-distance travelers higher fares and paid the checkpoint fee themselves,” the traveler said.
Truck drivers are also reportedly being required to pay around 300,000 Kyats per vehicle, while some are required to provide not only money but also goods.
In addition, local armed groups operating checkpoints in the area are also reportedly demanding money without any clearly defined rates or regulations.
The Ahbit checkpoint, controlled, by the military council, is located along the Mudon-Kyainseikgyi-Three Pagodas pass road, one of the main routes used to travel from Mon State to Kayin State as well as toward Three Pagodas Pass, a town on the Thailand-Myanmar border.
Hundreds of local travelers, long-distance passengers and cargo vehicles reportedly pass through this road section every day.
