Concerns about commodity, movement restrictions raised at AA presser

By DMG 05 Apr 2022

DMG Newsroom
5 April 2022, Sittwe

Since its coup last year, Myanmar’s military regime has required suppliers to seek its approval to bring certain goods into Arakan State, severely affecting businesses and disrupting commodity flows; an issue that the Arakan Army (AA) addressed in a wide-ranging press conference on Tuesday.

AA spokesman U Khaing Thukha said the ethnic armed group will negotiate with the junta if official complaints about transborder commerce are lodged with the AA.

“If merchants formally file complaints with us by letter, we will be able to negotiate [with regime authorities] through intermediaries. They need to tell us details about the problems they are facing,” U Khaing Thukha said at the press conference on April 5.

Arakan State lacks self-sufficiency in terms of food production, and relies on mainland Myanmar for a variety of commodities. But since the military takeover on February 1, 2021, many goods cannot legally be brought into Arakan State unless approved by the state security and border affairs minister.

The Myanmar military also imposed restrictions on the supply of commodities into Arakan State during two years of fighting between its forces and the Arakan Army from 2018-2020. Some of those same restrictions are being reported — including curtailing the movement of people — in peacetime, the AA spokesman said on Tuesday.

“We often raise the issue [with Myanmar’s military regime] whenever there is an opportunity. And the military council even restricts basic commodities like rice, oil, salt, and medicines, which are used by the people daily and have nothing to do with the military,” U Khaing Thukha added.

Cargo trucks are thoroughly inspected at a major military checkpoint in Ann Township and are allowed to pass only when they can show a permit issued by the security and border affairs minister. Junta soldiers at the checkpoint have said the scrutiny is necessary due to security concerns.