Basic goods prices soar, Kyaukphyu residents struggle

By Admin 24 Oct 2025

DMG Newsroom

24 October 2025, Kyaukphyu

In Kyaukphyu, a junta-controlled town in Arakan State, prices of basic commodities have surged, and a ban on transporting goods by sea has left residents facing mounting hardships, locals say.

Since November 2023, the military council has blocked all road and sea access to Kyaukphyu. As jobs have dried up and prices have spiked, some hand-to-mouth households are reportedly struggling with hunger.

Residents also allege that businesspeople cooperating with the junta have monopolized cargo shipments into Kyaukphyu and are selling supplies at highly inflated prices.

“In the past, vendors from nearby areas brought in vegetables and fresh meat and fish. Now that’s gone, so we rely only on shipments from the ‘mainland.’ Everything that comes by cargo boat is expensive, and it’s very difficult,” a Kyaukphyu man said.

Current retail prices cited by residents include: a sack of Paw San Hmwe rice at MMK 160,000, cooking oil MMK 15,000 per liter, dried chilies MMK 30,000 per viss, garlic MMK 30,000 per viss, and onions MMK 20,000 per viss.

With fresh produce and seafood no longer entering town as before, people are relying largely on limited local vegetables and goods shipped in from elsewhere, residents added.

Low-income day laborers—and many people trying to leave or return from other parts of the country—have been stuck in Kyaukphyu for an extended period, worsening food and livelihood challenges, locals said.

“Fishing is the main livelihood here. Now fishing is tightly restricted. There isn’t other work, so people are getting desperate. Some are going hungry,” a Kyaukphyu woman said.

While most residents depend on the marine economy, some also work in farming, salt production, and other small-scale agriculture. Even near-shore fishers, however, are reportedly facing tighter limits, intimidation, extortion, and arrests by junta forces.

“Hardly any townspeople are left. It’s mostly government department staff and a small number of locals. Hundreds returning from the mainland are stuck. Markets are quiet; some streets are deserted. People don’t go out much because of arrests and extortion,” the woman added.

The junta has reportedly laid landmines around the outskirts of Kyaukphyu and strictly controls town entry and exit, effectively banning departures. Those seeking to fly out must obtain a letter of endorsement from the township administrator—often requiring bribes and long waits—before travel is permitted, residents said.

At present, the junta controls Sittwe, Kyaukphyu, and Manaung in Arakan State. Residents in these towns face stringent movement restrictions and steep price increases, leaving many in difficulty, according to locals.