Muse - Myanmar/ China now international border crossing

[KTMphil]

Some rider's that came through Chiang Mai, told us they were riding into Myanmar and crossing into China at the Muse border. AS far as we knew it wasnt an international border. They messaged me a couple of days ago that they got threw easily.








Crossing into China here, would bring you into the very western side of Yunnan







Muse - drug corridor


Recently China built a 4 km long fence on the border near Ruili in order to stop drug trafficking and two more are under construction.[SUP][8][/SUP]Drug addiction is a major problem in the area.[SUP][17][/SUP][SUP][18][/SUP] The opium poppy harvest had increased since Lo Hsing Han managed to rebuild his drug empire after becoming the intermediary for cease-fire agreements between the military intelligence chief Khin Nyunt and the Kokang and Wa insurgents who had rebelled against and toppled the Communist leadershipin 1989.[SUP][19][/SUP] The World Food Program carried out emergency food assistance to former poppy farmers in 2004-2005 as pressure mounted to stop cultivation of the poppy.[SUP][20][/SUP]
Gambling, drugs and prostitution flourished in Ruili, but Muse's own efforts to share in the Las Vegas style business atmosphere met with much less success. The Chinese authorities cracked down on heroin entering - but not the chemical ingredients for the amphetamine-type stimulant (ATS) called yaba leaving - and also on Chinese men enjoying the same pleasures on the Burmese side of the border.[SUP][citation needed][/SUP] Besides the UNODC, a number of groups and organisations such as the Asian Harm Reduction Network (AHRN) and Buddhist monks are also involved in the amelioration of the HIV/AIDS problem among drug users.[SUP][21][/SUP][SUP][22][/SUP]
Cross-border trade was banned by Ne Win after the military came to power in Burma in 1962 but the ban was lifted following negotiations in 1988. Bilateral trade has risen steadily since, increasing by 60% in the fiscal year ending 31 March 2008, and constitutes 24% of Burma's trade ranking China as a major trading partner second only to Thailand.[SUP][8][/SUP]




Muse is today connected to Mandalay via Lashio by the National Highway 3 450 km Asian Highway route 14 (AH14),[SUP][4][/SUP]The old Burma Road links the new road to Bhamo in Kachin State which links to the Ledo Road.[SUP][5][/SUP] Mandalay-Lashio-Muse Road included part of the Burma Road and was rebuilt and upgraded for heavy traffic in 1998 on a Build-Operate-Transfer basis (BOT) by the Asia World Company headed by the son of the former opiumwarlordLo Hsing Han. It has cut the journey time from 2 days, even a week in the rainy season, to just 12-16 hours.[SUP][6][/SUP] Muse is also connected to central Burma via the Mandalay-Lashio Northern Shan State Railway.[SUP][7]





Source: [/SUP]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muse,_Burma





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[blackwolf]

Some rider's that came through Chiang Mai, told us they were riding into Myanmar and crossing into China at the Muse border. AS far as we knew it wasnt an international border. They messaged me a couple of days ago that they got threw easily.



View attachment 39576




Crossing into China here, would bring you into the very western side of Yunnan


View attachment 39577




Muse - drug corridor


Recently China built a 4 km long fence on the border near Ruili in order to stop drug trafficking and two more are under construction.[SUP][8][/SUP]Drug addiction is a major problem in the area.[SUP][17][/SUP][SUP][18][/SUP] The opium poppy harvest had increased since Lo Hsing Han managed to rebuild his drug empire after becoming the intermediary for cease-fire agreements between the military intelligence chief Khin Nyunt and the Kokang and Wa insurgents who had rebelled against and toppled the Communist leadershipin 1989.[SUP][19][/SUP] The World Food Program carried out emergency food assistance to former poppy farmers in 2004-2005 as pressure mounted to stop cultivation of the poppy.[SUP][20][/SUP]
Gambling, drugs and prostitution flourished in Ruili, but Muse's own efforts to share in the Las Vegas style business atmosphere met with much less success. The Chinese authorities cracked down on heroin entering - but not the chemical ingredients for the amphetamine-type stimulant (ATS) called yaba leaving - and also on Chinese men enjoying the same pleasures on the Burmese side of the border.[SUP][citation needed][/SUP] Besides the UNODC, a number of groups and organisations such as the Asian Harm Reduction Network (AHRN) and Buddhist monks are also involved in the amelioration of the HIV/AIDS problem among drug users.[SUP][21][/SUP][SUP][22][/SUP]
Cross-border trade was banned by Ne Win after the military came to power in Burma in 1962 but the ban was lifted following negotiations in 1988. Bilateral trade has risen steadily since, increasing by 60% in the fiscal year ending 31 March 2008, and constitutes 24% of Burma's trade ranking China as a major trading partner second only to Thailand.[SUP][8][/SUP]




Muse is today connected to Mandalay via Lashio by the National Highway 3 450 km Asian Highway route 14 (AH14),[SUP][4][/SUP]The old Burma Road links the new road to Bhamo in Kachin State which links to the Ledo Road.[SUP][5][/SUP] Mandalay-Lashio-Muse Road included part of the Burma Road and was rebuilt and upgraded for heavy traffic in 1998 on a Build-Operate-Transfer basis (BOT) by the Asia World Company headed by the son of the former opiumwarlordLo Hsing Han. It has cut the journey time from 2 days, even a week in the rainy season, to just 12–16 hours.[SUP][6][/SUP] Muse is also connected to central Burma via the Mandalay-Lashio Northern Shan State Railway.[SUP][7]





Source: [/SUP]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muse,_Burma





...

Interesting report but more information needed. For years it has been possible to cross this border IF in possession of a valid permit issued by the Myanmar authorities. Previously, it was also necessary to obtain a car with driver and guide to travel to Lashio, or from Lashio to Mu-se in addition to the permit. Since 2013, it has become possible to travel to Mu-se without a permit. I have done so twice, the last time was in February. However, I was not intending on crossing the border and there was also a general sense of paranoia at the one checkpoint, which is located at the entrance to town, but no problem to stay overnight there as long as I headed back to the interior of Myanmar the same way I came, via Lashio, which I did. There are now no more checkpoints located on the road getting to the border.

I agree that the town sees very few foreign visitors, probably just a handful and many foreigners I spoke to were under the impression a permit would be needed to get to town, which I told them it wouldn't be. Only to cross the border a permit is/was still required.

There has been talk of the upgrading of the border to international status, thus not requiring a permit anymore since 2013. It was even on the news in Thailand, even though most Thais and foreigners here would have no interest in such news. Asking around myself and from scouring the news, I could gather that the crossing will likely open around the end of the year, but now apparently it's already open?

Strange, because I regularly read the Myanmar news such as The Irrawaddy, MM Times, etc. and nothing has been mentioned recently.

 

[blackwolf]

- - - Updated - - -

Interesting report but more information needed. For years it has been possible to cross this border IF in possession of a valid permit issued by the Myanmar authorities. Previously, it was also necessary to obtain a car with driver and guide to travel to Lashio, or from Lashio to Mu-se in addition to the permit. Since 2013, it has become possible to travel to Mu-se without a permit. I have done so twice, the last time was in February. However, I was not intending on crossing the border and there was also a general sense of paranoia at the one checkpoint, which is located at the entrance to town, but no problem to stay overnight there as long as I headed back to the interior of Myanmar the same way I came, via Lashio, which I did. There are now no more checkpoints located on the road getting to the border.

I agree that the town sees very few foreign visitors, probably just a handful and many foreigners I spoke to were under the impression a permit would be needed to get to town, which I told them it wouldn't be. Only to cross the border a permit is/was still required.

There has been talk of the upgrading of the border to international status, thus not requiring a permit anymore since 2013. It was even on the news in Thailand, even though most Thais and foreigners here would have no interest in such news. Asking around myself and from scouring the news, I could gather that the crossing will likely open around the end of the year, but now apparently it's already open?

Strange, because I regularly read the Myanmar news such as The Irrawaddy, MM Times, etc. and nothing has been mentioned recently.

I can confirm that the Muse-Ruili border STILL NEEDS an MTT PERMIT to cross the border into China. Why didn't this person above mention this? You can check everywhere, Lonely Planet, the Myanmar news sources, go-myanmar.com, all of them mention the need for a permit so why did this guy above not mention it? It is misleading and useless for us to have such a report, without any details.

After the entry into force of AEC 2015 on Dec 31, 2015, maybe the permit requirement will be abolished, MAYBE. But right now only foreigners (includng Chinese citizens) in possession of an MTT permit are allowed to cross in either direction. This requirement has been in place for years and I know a former Myanmar immigration official who used to be a tour guide who has taken bikers/drivers across this border since at least 2002. All of them were in possession of a permit and not much has changed since then except that it's now possible to go to Muse without a permit as long as you don't cross the border.