In Burma, the junta arrested a Japanese executive at Aaon supermarkets accused of violating the rice reference price law, with Tokyo calling for his immediate release.
Hiroshi Kasamatsu, Japanese director of Aeon Orange, the Burmese subsidiary of the Japanese retail giant, was arrested following an investigation into the rice manufacturing and distribution sector, the information team of the junta late Sunday afternoon.
“We call on local authorities to release him immediately”
Hiroshi Kasamatsu and three Myanmar nationals are suspected of violating the reference pricing law for essential goods and services and “selling rice at a higher price with the aim of causing economic chaos”, said the military junta in power in this country after a coup in 2021.
The price of rice has more than doubled in a few months
The price of rice, a staple food in Burma, has more than doubled in recent months, according to traders. State media blamed the El Niño weather phenomenon as well as the greed of market participants. Conflicts between the military and opponents of the 2021 coup have also disrupted rice planting, harvesting and transportation, analysts say.
Aeon Orange operates several supermarkets in Rangoon, Burma’s main city and economic hub.
