June 22, 2024

The military junta has been arresting rice merchants and mill owners in Yangon and Ayeyarwady regions, also shutting down rice mills, warehouses, and rice bazaars, including those in Bayintnaung Market in Yangon, according to sources from the Yangon Rice Merchants Association.

The junta alleges that these rice merchants are responsible for inflating rice prices in the market. Consequently, the military has been targeting and arresting rice merchants in these regions and has also closed down several rice mills and warehouses, summoning the owners for interrogation.

“All we know is that they are being summoned for questioning, but we don’t know the exact reasons yet,” a Yangon-based rice merchant told New Day Myanmar.

This crackdown follows a meeting held on June 20 between the junta’s Deputy Minister of Commerce, U Min Min, rice merchants, and mill owners. Following the meeting, several rice merchants and mill owners from Yangon and Ayeyarwady regions were arrested.

Additionally, the chairman of the Rice and Paddy Association, Ye Min Aung, and the chairman of the Bayintnaung Market, Lu Maw Myint Maung, were invited to Naypyidaw for a meeting and subsequently detained for questioning.

“We confirm that it is happening, and we are also in hiding,” a rice mill owner from the Ayeyarwady region told New Day Myanmar.

The rice mills, warehouses, and bazaars that have been targeted include Shwe Lawun Rice Mill in Hlaing Thar Yar Township, 10 rice mills and warehouses, including Miba Metta 2 Rice Mill and Warehouse in Dala Township, Goody Rice Mill, and several rice bazaars in Bayintnaung Market.

On the night of June 21, around 11 PM, the military and administrative authorities also shut down at least three rice bazaars within Bayintnaung Market in Mayangone Township, Yangon.