Paletwa

Paletwa
ပလက်ဝမြို့
Town
Paletwa is located in Myanmar
Paletwa
Paletwa
Location in Myanmar
Coordinates: 21°18′N 92°51′E / 21.300°N 92.850°E / 21.300; 92.850
Country Myanmar
State Chin State
DistrictPaletwa District
TownshipPaletwa Township
Area
 • Total
1,368 sq mi (3,543 km2)
Population
 (2014)
 • Total
96,899
 • Density70.83/sq mi (27.35/km2)
Time zoneUTC+6.30 (MMT)
ClimateAm

Paletwa (Burmese: ပလက်ဝမြို့, MLCTS: pa. lak wa. mrui., pronounced [pəlɛʔwa̰ mjo̰]) is one of the westernmost towns of Myanmar; in Chin State, located 18 kilometres (11 mi) from the border with Bangladesh. The town borders Mizoram in India and Chittagong Division of Bangladesh. Its population was about 97,000 in 2014.[1]

The Arakan Army (AA) launched an attack at the town on 13 November 2023, and captured it on 15 January 2024 during the Myanmar Civil War.[2]

Demographics

Rakhine is the lingua franca of the region, while Kuki-Chin languages are spoken mostly in the hills.[3] The western region of the town hosts a significant refugee population that has fled from Rakhine State.[4] The literacy rate is 65% (2017).[5]

Neighboring villages such as Kan Lay (ကန်းလေ) can be reached only by foot (journey time one hour).

Connectivity

Paletwa Township is located in a strategically-important area. The nearby Bangladesh–India–Myanmar tripoint, is important for trade, illegal migration, and drug and weapon smuggling.[6]

The area is connected to Rakhine State only by boat. A boat leaves Kyauktaw every morning and reaches Paletwa in the afternoon, running up the Kaladan River.[7] The Kaladan river is prone to flooding during the monsoon season.[6]

As of 2020, the road to Matupi is reported to be on the brink of completion, although this reporting does not match the situation on the ground.[8][9]

Paletwa is part of an ongoing infrastructure project Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project that will connect it to the Indian state of Mizoram.[3] As of 2026, the road to Zorinpui is still incomplete. As a result, the Kaladan river is the only feasible way to reach Paletwa.[6]

The ULA/AA has built inter-village roads in Paletwa Township to improve transport and boost trade to Mizoram State.[10]

Climate

The area receives heavy rain from the Southwest monsoon (May to October).[6]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.mrtv3.net.mm/newpaper/99newsn.pdf Page 10 Column 1
  2. ↑ "Arakan Army Declares Victory in Paletwa, Myanmar's Chin State".
  3. 1 2 "The Limits of Development and Control in the Borderlands of Burma (Part I)". Tea Circle. 17 May 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  4. ↑ "Hundreds of villagers flee fighting in sourthern [sic] Chin". Myanmar NOW. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  5. ↑ "The 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing CensusDepartment of PopulationMinistry of Labour, Immigration and PopulationOctober 2017CHIN STATE, MINDAT DISTRICT" (PDF).
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Will India's Kaladan Project in Myanmar Meet the 2027 Deadline?". The Diplomat. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
  7. ↑ "The Abduction of AA over the Paletwa MP confirmed by the Chin State Govt". Burma News International. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  8. ↑ "Farmers' land destroyed to make way for Paletwa to Matupi road – Chin Human Rights Organization". Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  9. ↑ "Civilians pay the price of conflict in southern Chin". Frontier Myanmar. 10 March 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  10. ↑ "ULA/AA builds new inter-village roads in Paletwa to boost connectivity". Development Media Group. Retrieved 2 December 2025.


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