Demand for military-linked products remains high in Arakan State

By DMG 12 Sep 2022

DMG Newsroom
12 September 2022, Sittwe 

Military-linked products and services still enjoy high demand in many parts of Arakan State despite recent calls for a boycott of them. 

People continue to consume military-produced liquor and beer brands including Myanmar Beer, Andaman Gold and Black Shield, as well as Ruby and Premier cigarettes, and use military-owned Mytel SIM cards, according to sellers. 

“The sales [of military-linked] products are not down. It is normal,” said one shop owner. 

Because many students are in the Arakan State capital Sittwe currently to attend Sittwe University, sales are actually higher in some cases, said a shop owner from Kyaungtetlan Ward. 

“I think the sales are also related to the location of the shop. My shop sells well, and sales are even up because students are now in Sittwe,” he said. 

The All Arakan Youth Organisations Network (AAYON) on August 30 urged residents of Arakan State to boycott military-linked products and services, saying people are ultimately paying for the Myanmar military’s war costs by consuming its products. 

AAYON in its statement said the military has committed renewed violence against people in Arakan State as the state has returned to armed conflict. Many civilians have died or been injured by the junta’s reckless shelling and mines that it has planted near villages. People are suffering greater hardships as well, the statement added.