Narinjara, 22 May, 2025

According to traders, Indian authorities have reopened the border road that transports goods from Mizoram's Laung Talai district to Paletwa in Chin State for humanitarian reasons.

Indian authorities reopened the border road on May 20 after a four-day closure, causing many Rakhine traders to be stranded at the border during the blockade imposed by India on the route. However, a Rakhine trader mentioned that they are now coming back with their products.

"It has been reopened. Traders can now come back with their merchandise," he stated.

Indian authorities closed the road indefinitely on May 16 for security reasons, reopening it four days later.

The shutdown has sparked worries among the Rakhine community that items brought in from India via Paletwa may become scarce and costs might surge.

Since November 2023, when conflict erupted in Rakhine State, the military council has sealed off all roads and waterways, resulting in a scarcity of food, medicine, and household items in Rakhine.

In response, the Indian government and regional officials have inaugurated the Laungtalai-Paletwa border road for humanitarian purposes to Rakhine, which has turned into an essential path for transporting goods to Rakhine State.

Food, medicine, and fuel are likewise being brought into Rakhine via this route.

In 2024, the Mizoram State's Central Lai Youth Association (CYLA) of Laungtalai District prohibited the entry of goods into Rakhine State via Mizoram, but discussions between the Arakan Army (AA) and the Mizoram state government have allowed the route's reopening.