Rice transport banned in Shan State

^{By Hseng Khio Fah}

On 1June, Maj-Gen Thaung Aye, Commander of Eastern Region Command and Chairman of Shan State South Peace and Development Council announced that rice trade or transportation would not be allowed even from town to town and if anyone caught with a bag of rice will be jailed for one month, said a resident of Taunggyi.

 “On 2 June, a rice trader was arrested at a checkpoint in Taunggyi with 200 bags of rice. He didn’t know the announcement of the ban on rice transport,” said a rice trader from Taunggyi.

“Before, we regularly transported rice to Namzang, Kunhing and other areas where there is less rice cultivation. Right now, people are faced with difficulties as they depend on the rice from Taunggyi,” the trader said.

Maj-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, Commander of Kengtung-based Triangle Region Command has also prohibited rice transport to Mongla, Shan State-Yunnan border where the ceasefire group, National Democratic Alliance Army Eastern Shan State (NDAA-ESS) is based. 

“Despite of his order, people are still transporting rice. If they can bribe checkpoint authorities, they can carry anything,” said a resident of Kengtung.

There has been a rumor that ban on rice transport is due to junta’s plan to cut rice supplies to areas where there are troops of Shan State Army – South before its military campaign on the group. They [junta] are afraid that civilians will help SSA, said sources from Taunggyi.

However the regional commanders have given reason that it is to reserve rice for people in the areas as there would be rice scarcity after Cyclone Nargis hit the Irrawaddy delta which had been Burma’s rice bowl.

Prices of food supplies and rice have swelled in Burma after Nargis smashed the delta on 2-3 May.