Myanmar’s military has launched an offensive around the proposed Dawei Special Economic Zone in the southern Tanintharyi Region.
Myanmar’s military has launched an offensive around the proposed Dawei Special Economic Zone in the southern Tanintharyi Region, where the government is seeking to revive a long-delayed port and industrial project with Russian support, Reuters reported.
Around 700 troops have reportedly moved into villages surrounding the project site since July, raiding communities, killing civilians, and displacing residents.
The ground offensive has been supported by air and naval strikes, with troops burning homes as they move to secure land designated for the project, according to local sources cited by Reuters.
Three humanitarian workers assisting displaced communities were reportedly detained and killed.
According to Reuters, it remains unclear how much of the project area the military has secured or whether construction has resumed.
Myanmar, Russia Seek to Revive Dawei
The offensive comes as Myanmar seeks to revive Dawei with Russian investment.
According to Reuters, President Min Aung Hlaing recently discussed the project with Russian President Vladimir Putin, while Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said Russian companies planned to participate in the initiative to expand trade and support local businesses.
At the center of the special economic zone are plans for a deep-sea port, a power plant, industrial facilities, and transport connections to Thailand.
Together, these developments would create a trade corridor between the Indian Ocean and mainland Southeast Asia that bypasses the Strait of Malacca.
Myanmar said the corridor could shorten cargo journeys by four to six days.
For Russia, the project could improve access to Southeast Asian markets and provide a commercial foothold in the Indian Ocean region.
Russia is already a major political and military partner of Myanmar’s government, supplying combat aircraft and other weapons since the 2021 coup and signing a five-year defense cooperation agreement earlier this year.
Military Push
Myanmar’s 2021 military coup triggered a nationwide civil war between the military-backed government and a fragmented opposition made up of pro-democracy People’s Defence Forces and long-established ethnic armed groups.
The conflict has killed an estimated 100,000 people and displaced more than 3.6 million.
According to Reuters, the Dawei operation is part of a broader military campaign to retake border areas, trade routes, and economically important territory lost to opposition forces.
The offensive also comes as a new United Nations report said the military has recently intensified its attacks on civilians.
Investigators documented potential war crimes by government forces, as well as serious abuses by armed opposition groups.
