DAWEI, Myanmar: Myanmar’s military has deployed hundreds of troops into the country’s southern Tanintharyi region in an offensive aimed at clearing areas earmarked for a Russia-backed special economic zone, according to resistance fighters and a local activist familiar with developments in the area. The campaign around the Dawei Special Economic Zone (SEZ), which includes plans for a deep-sea port and power plant on the Andaman Sea, represents one of the clearest signs yet that Myanmar’s military-backed government is prepared to use force to revive a long-delayed project seen as a potential alternative trade route to the Strait of Malacca. The offensive also comes as Myanmar’s leadership intensifies diplomatic efforts to attract foreign investment. Junta chief-turned-President Min Aung Hlaing promoted the Dawei project during a recent visit to Thailand and discussed its prospects again this week during talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Villages Caught in Military Push Since July, hundreds of soldiers have reportedly moved into Tanintharyi, a region bordering Thailand where the Dawei project is located. Their advance has triggered repeated clashes with local resistance groups, according to two sources. “The military is advancing its columns and conducting area-clearance operations. Some villages and homes have been burned down,” Saw Dah Ko of the Tanintharyi Region People’s Defence Force told Reuters. A second resistance fighter, operating with the Dawei District No.1 battalion under the shadow National Unity Government, said troops had burned homes in at least three villages and killed three aid workers helping displaced communities. The civil society group MAGGA Initiative said the three aid workers were detained and killed after encountering a military column in Yebyu Township on July 9. Reuters was unable to independently verify the accounts. Myanmar’s government and Russia’s embassy in Myanmar did not respond to requests for comment. Conflict monitor ACLED said the offensive had involved a column of about 700 soldiers advancing into surrounding areas, with raids on villages and reports of civilian deaths. The military’s campaign has reportedly been supported by air and naval attacks, according to local sources, putting pressure on loosely organised resistance groups. “They enter the region, and once reinforced by the navy, they launch offensives into the villages situated within the deep sea port project area,” said Min Lwin Oo of the Democracy Movement Strike Committee. A Strategic Project The push around Dawei is part of the military’s wider effort to regain territory and strategic border areas lost to opposition groups following the 2021 coup that plunged Myanmar into civil war. The conflict has killed an estimated 100,000 people and displaced more than 3.5 million, according to humanitarian and conflict assessments. The military-backed government has sought to strengthen its control while pursuing projects that could bring investment and strategic partnerships. The Dawei SEZ is among the most ambitious. Originally launched in 2008 as a joint venture with Thailand, the project was intended to create a major industrial and transport hub linking Southeast Asia with markets in East and West Asia. However, construction stalled in 2013 amid local opposition and funding difficulties. In early 2021, shortly before the military takeover, authorities moved to terminate agreements covering nine projects in the initial construction phase and said they would seek new partners. Russia has now emerged as a key potential supporter. Russia Sees Gateway to Asia At a business forum in Moscow this week, Tanintharyi Chief Minister Zaw Naing Oo promoted Dawei as a faster route for regional trade. State media quoted him as saying cargo could reach its destinations four to six days faster through Dawei than by travelling through the Strait of Malacca. The proposed port is also around 45 kilometres from Myanmar’s major offshore gas fields, adding to its strategic appeal. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said Russian companies were interested in working with the Dawei SEZ, potentially expanding trade and creating employment opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses. For Moscow, the project could offer more than commercial returns. A person familiar with Russian thinking said the port could provide Russia with greater access to Southeast Asian markets and a foothold in the Indian Ocean region. But the source cautioned that Myanmar remains a high-risk investment destination. “The risk in Myanmar is still very high,” the source said, adding that Russian investment would need strong connectivity with Thailand for the project to make economic sense. A Project With High Stakes The Dawei development could reshape trade routes across the region if it is successfully revived. Its location on the Andaman Sea offers a potential route that could reduce reliance on the heavily used Strait of Malacca. For Myanmar’s military leadership, restoring control over the surrounding territory is therefore closely linked to its ambitions for the project. For local communities, however, the military advance has brought renewed fear and displacement. The fate of Dawei now rests on a difficult balance between geopolitics, investment and security — with the proposed port’s future increasingly tied to the outcome of Myanmar’s continuing civil war.
