Despite the ongoing conflicts on Ramree island, where manyChinese projects are located, the Chinese oil tankers continue navigatingregularly, said local residents.

"Oil tankers are still arriving and departing despitethe intense clashes in Kyaukphyu township amid heightened militarytension," said a young resident, who monitors Chinese projects.

The clashes between the Arakan Army (AA) and Myanmarmilitary forces are going on in the nearby area to Ramree and Kyaukphyu town inthe island. The junta soldiers are using warplanes and warships to target theAA fighters in the locality.

Daily clashes continue in Kyaukphyu town locality, which isjust 10 miles away from Maday island.

Intense clashes erupted between the AA fighters and juntaforces  near Nget Pyaw Chaung village of Gone Chwein village-tract from 12 to 14 February that resulted in many casualties among thesoldiers.

Despite the conflicts, a large oil tanker entered Maday porton 14 February with another one had arrived in the first week.

At 12:00 pm on 17 February, the battalions in Kyaukpyu alongwith their families were moved from Dhanyawadi naval base to Thandwe or Yangon.

As of now, 300,000-ton oil tankers dock at Maday port, which was designated as a deep-sea port by the customs department in January 2015.

The large ships carry  crude oil from the Middle Eastand Africa to Maday island under  Kyaukphyu township on the way to Yunnanprovince of China. Later it is transported through an underground pipelineacross central Myanmar.

The project was made  operational in 2016. According tolocal residents many fishermen, who depended on  Thanzit river in Madayisland for their livelihood, had lost their fishing blocks as the oil tankersstarted moving in their areas.