The Asia Highway: Planned Eindu to Kawkareik Town road construction threatens villagers’ livelihoods

This News Bulletin describes the proposed construction of a portion of the Asia Highway from Eindu to Kawkareik Town, crossing 17 different villages and one town in Hpa-an, Kyonedoe and Kawkareik townships in Dooplaya and Hpa-an districts. The Burma/Myanmar government has demarcated the route and plans to construct the road with funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The planning of the project has thus far been carried out with little consultation with local communities, who remain suspicious of such projects. If implemented, the highway construction would result in the confiscation of villagers’ land, posing a threat to their basic livelihoods.