Myanmar arrested four executives of supermarket chains, including an official of a Japanese joint venture, for selling rice at inflated prices, state media said yesterday, as the war-torn country’s ruling junta struggles to stabilise its economy.
The impoverished Southeast Asian country has been in turmoil since its military deposed an elected civilian government in February 2021, sparking widespread protests that have morphed into a nationwide armed resistance.
Authorities said they arrested 11 people, including rice traders and officials of mills and retailers, accusing them of inflating prices by 31 percent to 70 percent from prescribed levels, the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said.
In Tokyo, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, Yoshimasa Hayashi, said police in Yangon were questioning a Japanese national. “The Japanese government intends to continue taking appropriate steps while urging local authorities for his early release,” he told reporters.
