Burma government has made a plan to re-open border gate at Mongla, Eastern Shan State at China border with aim of improving the country’s regional economic development, a government official said.

The announcement came after the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA) or Mongla group has requested to the government and also it is aiming to development the economy in Kengtung.

Travelers between Tachileik and Mongla have been ordered to stay overnight in Kengtung said U Aung Kyaw Myint, an official from the Department for Border Region Development of Shan State during the meeting of peace delegates from RCSS/SSA and Naypyitaw in Kengtung.

A sign welcoming Chinese tourists crossing the border to Mongla, eastern Shan State. (Photo: New Mandala)

Government has sent immigration staffs for border gate to Mongla since the end of last year but due to not enough staffs and officials are still recruiting more staffs, the gate is still unable to open, Aung Kyaw Myint said.

Before, Kengtung was one of the busiest cities in eastern Shan State because travelers and traders were stopping in the city when they travel between Mongla and Tachileik but the transportation became good after the construction of road and travelers just bypass Kengtung. “Since travelers and traders stop staying in Kengtung, the economy went down in the region. We request them to stay in Kengtung after we have opened the border gate”, a government official Aung Kyaw Myint said.

Kengtung is of the famous and oldest cities in Shan State and it has been existing with Shan heritage for more than 700 years. It is also a city of adjacent between Burma, China and Thailand.

The road between Kengtung and Mongla was closed in 2010 after Mongla group and Burma government became tension because government ordered the group to become Border Guard Force and the group refused to turn into BGF under the military government.