Myanmar’s military has intensified operations in the southern Tanintharyi Region to clear land for the Dawei Special Economic Zone (SEZ), a Russia-backed project featuring a planned deep-sea port and power plant on the Andaman Sea. According to local resistance fighters and activists, the offensive has involved deploying hundreds of troops, burning villages, and sealing off surrounding areas, escalating clashes with local armed groups.
The military campaign, active since July, aims to secure territory around the SEZ, which is positioned near the Thai border and promoted by Myanmar’s military-led government as a strategic alternative to the heavily trafficked Strait of Malacca. The project has attracted renewed attention as Myanmar’s junta chief-turned-President Min Aung Hlaing recently discussed it during diplomatic visits to Thailand and Russia, where he held talks with President Vladimir Putin.
Resistance fighters report that military forces have torched houses in at least three villages and killed three aid workers who were assisting displaced communities. The aid workers were detained and killed after an encounter with advancing troops in Yebyu Township on July 9, according to a local civil society group. These accounts have not been independently verified, and neither the Myanmar government nor Russia’s embassy in Myanmar responded to requests for comment.
The military’s push follows a late-June visit to the region by armed forces deputy chief Kyaw Swar Lin, who called on soldiers to protect “strategic projects” such as Dawei. Since then, approximately 700 soldiers have advanced into surrounding areas, leading to frequent skirmishes with loosely organized local resistance groups operating under the shadow National Unity Government.
The Dawei SEZ project, originally conceived in 2008 as a joint effort with Thailand to enhance trade connectivity between Southeast Asia and South and West Asia, stalled in 2013 due to local opposition and financial constraints. Prior to the 2021 military coup, project overseeing authorities moved to terminate several related contracts, citing the need to find new partners.
The current government is seeking to revive the initiative with Russian support, aligning with Russia’s interests in expanding economic and strategic presence in Southeast Asia. Tanintharyi Region Chief Minister Zaw Naing Oo stated recently at a business forum in Moscow that the Dawei port could reduce shipping times by four to six days compared to routes through the Strait of Malacca. He also highlighted the port’s proximity—around 45 kilometers—to Myanmar’s major offshore gas fields.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin expressed intentions to expand trade and create employment, including opportunities for small and medium enterprises, through involvement in the project. Analysts suggest that Dawei could provide Russia with greater market access in the region and a strategic port foothold in the Indian Ocean.
However, a source familiar with Moscow’s position cautioned that “the risk in Myanmar is still very high,” and indicated that Russian investments would likely need to rely on connectivity with Thailand for the project to be viable.
The military’s offensive to secure the Dawei SEZ reflects a broader strategy to reclaim control over border areas and key economic assets lost to opposition forces since the 2021 coup, which triggered a civil war that has resulted in over 100,000 deaths and displaced more than 3.5 million people.