Oil tankers routinely navigate despite conflicts in Chinese project fame Ramree island

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

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

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

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

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

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

At 12:00 pm on 17 February, the battalions in Kyaukpyu along with 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 East and Africa to Maday island under  Kyaukphyu township on the way to Yunnan province of China. Later it is transported through an underground pipeline across central Myanmar.

The project was made  operational in 2016. According to local residents many fishermen, who depended on  Thanzit river in Maday island for their livelihood, had lost their fishing blocks as the oil tankers started moving in their areas.