Japanese conquest of Burma main attack westward from Rahaeng in Thailand across the Kawkareik Pass. The 16th Indian Infantry Brigade of the 17th Indian Division guarding this approach retreated hastily westward. The Japanese division advanced to Moulmein at the mouth of the Salween River which was garrisoned by the 2nd Burma Infantry Brigade. The position was almost impossible to defend, and had the River Salween, almost wide, behind it. The 2nd Burma Brigade was squeezed into a progressively tighter perimeter, and eventually retreated over the river by ferry on 31 January after abandoning a large amount of supplies and equipment. Part of the force
Shweli River motorcycles and household goods from China. More recently, Chinese hybrid rice called "sinn shweli" has been introduced by the military authorities to the local farmers as part of the opium eradication drive, most of the crop to be exported back to China. The Shweli I Dam was put into operation on the river in 2008. It is the first of three planned dams on the main stem. Shweli River Shweli River (; ) is a river in Myanmar (Burma). Also known as Nam Mao in Shan and Lung Chuan Chiang(龙川江) in Chinese, it forms part of the boundary between Burma