Chinese Trucks Set Ablaze in Myanmar, Beijing's Campaign Against Cybercrime Produces Unforeseen Consequences

A convoy of trucks carrying Chinese goods into Myanmar was set ablaze on November 24 in the border town of Muse in the country’s eastern Shan State. The Burmese state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported that 120 of the 258 vehicles in the convoy containing household and consumer goods, clothes, and building materials were destroyed in the blaze. Both the Junta government and a spokesman for the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) denied responsibility for the attack. Beijing announced that it will hold “combat training activities” on its side of the border in response to the worsening situation. This comes amid an ongoing insurgency in Myanmar that has intensified in large part due to Beijing’s campaign to stop cyber criminals from operating in the country.