Amid raging fighting in Myanmar, 100th shipment from India reaches Sittwe port
The ambitious KMTTP project aims to link India’s North East region with South East Asia through a highway and a deep-sea port at Sittwe in Myanmar’s Rakhine province
Amid raging fighting in the Rakhine province of Myanmar, the Sittwe port built under the Kaladan Multi-modal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP) marked the arrival of the 100th vessel MV Yadnar Pan Tuang earlier this week carrying 2,200 tonnes of bagged cement, Bharat Freight Group the company operating it announced. The Sittwe port was inaugurated on May 09, 2023.
“In the 434 days of operation, the port has handled 70 vessels carrying relief cargo [approximately 83,000 tonnes] for free and 30 [26,000 tonnes] ships carrying commercial cargo, thus completing 1,09,000 tonnes in all,” the company said in a statement.
The situation in Myanmar worsened after rebel groups launched a coordinated attack last October against the Myanmar Junta, which has been ruling the country since the coup in February 2021, and since gained significant ground across bases gaining control over large swathes of land along the borders with India, Bangladesh, and China.
A project official on the ground said the ongoing conflict has not impacted operations at the port and in turn both the factions were providing security for the project. The fighting is happening about 5 kms away from the port, the official said.
The Sittwe port was jointly inaugurated by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Myanmar’s Deputy Prime Minister Admiral Tin Aung San on May 09, 2023, when the first cargo ship, flagged off from Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata, was also received. With the development of Sittwe Port, the cost and time of transportation of goods between Kolkata and Agartala and Aizwal will decrease by 50%, an official statement had said.
Elaborating on the port operations, the company statement said that just five days after inauguration, cyclonic Mocha storm was formed in the Bay of Bengal and devastated the port and the city on May 14, 2023, and the city was evacuated by June 14 due to the fight between the Junta and Arakan army. “Despite all the challenges, Bharat Freight Global’s local team and the team at Yangon as well as head office in Mumbai continued to work with skeleton team and online support to keep the port with the support and security provided by all the stakeholder government bodies involved in Myanmar as well as India,” it stated.
All the port warehouses are now almost completely restored (roofing sheet installation work in progress in the last warehouse – 35% balance) to its original condition and all equipment and office setup restored to its original status, all licenses renewed along with insurance, the company added.
The ambitious KMTTP project aims to link India’s North East region with South East Asia through a highway and Kaladan river to a deep-sea port at Sittwe in Myanmar’s Rakhine province. The project envisages highway, road transport from Mizoram to Paletwa in Myanmar, thereafter from Paletwa to Sittwe in Myanmar by inland water transport and from Sittwe to any port in India by maritime shipping, the Shipping Ministry had stated.
On June 26, Myanmar Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister U Than Shwe stopped in the national capital on his way to Iran when he met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. “Discussed our deep concern at the impact of continuing violence and instability in Myanmar on our border. India is open to engaging all stakeholders in addressing this situation,” Mr. Jaishankar said in significant remarks on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
“Pressed for credible security protection for our ongoing projects in the country. Urged early return to the path of democratic transition in Myanmar. India stands ready to help in any manner,” he added.
The safety of Sittwe port and the situation in Rakhine province was discussed, officials said.
On July 11, Mr. Jaishankar held a trilateral meeting with his Myanmarese counterpart as well as Thai counterpart Maris Sangiampongsa on the sidelines of a BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers’ retreat in New Delhi as well as separate meeting his Myanmarese counterpart. “India supports the return to democracy in Myanmar and engages all stakeholders in that regard,” he said.
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