SAGAING, Myanmar — A lone activist attempting to walk across Myanmar to promote peace has seen his journey cut short after being blocked by security forces in central Myanmar.
Nga Min Swe, a resident of Mon State, had planned to walk from Mawlamyine in the south to Myitkyina in the far north. However, his 25-day journey ended abruptly on March 21, 2026, at the Yadanabon Bridge, which connects Mandalay to the volatile Sagaing Region.
Upon reaching the bridge, Nga Min Swe was met by officials from the sham government’s administration and police force. They informed him that his planned route through Sagaing and Wetlet townships was prohibited under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, a colonial-era curfew and assembly ban currently enforced due to intense local fighting.
“The township administrator and legal officer explained it clearly,” Nga Min Swe said in a video posted to his social media. “They told me that if I continued, I would face legal action. I am not afraid of a three-month prison sentence, but if I am in jail, I will never reach Myitkyina. Therefore, I have decided to end my peace journey here in Sagaing.”
Police sources confirmed that Nga Min Swe was forced to sign a “pledge of conduct” in front of witnesses before being sent back toward Mandalay in a private vehicle.
Nga Min Swe’s journey has been met with a mix of curiosity and skepticism in a country deeply divided by civil war. To some, his walk represented a desperate longing for peace; to others, it was a high-risk stunt in a region where travel is often life-threatening.
The activist has a long history of run-ins with various administrations. In 2018, under the National League for Democracy (NLD) government, he was sentenced to seven years in prison for sedition after insulting then-leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
More recently, in November 2024, he was arrested by the current military-led sham government after posting videos supportive of the resistance movement on TikTok. He was charged under Section 505-A and released in early 2025 before starting his march on February 25.
The “Peace Walk” was not without its physical challenges; on March 2, Nga Min Swe reported being bitten by a dog during his trek through Kyaikto Township.
His failure to reach Myitkyina highlights the extreme fragmentation of Myanmar today. For many, the fact that a single individual cannot walk through the country’s heartland without encountering military blockades or legal threats serves as a stark reminder of the long and difficult road to any lasting peace.
