Myanmar and Laos Reopen Key Mekong River Crossing

Myanmar and Laos have officially resumed cross-river border transport along the Mekong River following a bilateral visit by Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing to Laos earlier this month, according to local media reports. The Wanpong–Meunghmom crossing—a vital transit point linking Tachileik District in eastern Shan State to Laos’s Luang Namtha Province—reopened on July 16 after remaining shuttered for nearly six years due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. The reopening follows Min Aung Hlaing’s July 3–5 visit to Laos, where the two nations signed an agreement to develop a 2,790-megawatt hydropower project along a 150-mile stretch of the Mekong River. Labor ministers from both sides also met to discuss issuing Certificates of Identity (CI) to protect the rights of an estimated 60,000 undocumented Myanmar migrants currently working in Laos. During the prolonged closure, travelers and migrant workers had to rely on unauthorized motorboat operators, paying between 100 and 200 Chinese RMB ($14 to $28 USD) per trip to cross illegally. Under the new procedures, travelers holding a Myanmar National Identification Card (NIC) or Unique Identification Document (UID) smart card can obtain a Temporary Border Pass (TBP) at the Wanpong jetty for 1,000 MMK (less than $0.50 USD). "When the crossing was closed, people who wanted to work in Laos had to cross illegally. Now, anyone with an ID card can travel legally," a Tachileik resident told the Shan Herald Agency for News. The Wanpong crossing is one of eastern Shan State's primary trade and passenger gateways, serving a role similar to that of the high-traffic Mae Sai–Tachileik checkpoint on the Thai-Myanmar border. Passengers departing Wanpong must clear immigration upon arrival at the Meunghmom jetty in Laos. According to the military regime's Immigration Department, five Myanmar nationals were issued passes and crossed into Laos on the first day of operations. Authorities have not yet clarified whether travelers with international passports will be permitted to use the river crossing.