As Myanmar's military regime fully controls the use of foreign currency and imports under the pretext of suppressing rebels, shortages of daily necessities and rising prices are continuing, centered on the capital, Yangon.
On the 2nd (local time), the Washington Post (WP) reported that a dense military surveillance network appears to be operating across Yangon. Intelligence agents have been deployed in teahouses and public transportation, and surveillance cameras have been installed at major intersections. According to local human rights groups, the number of citizens being arrested for criticizing the regime has steadily increased, spreading a climate of refraining from public remarks across society.
However, citizens are reportedly voicing unusually strong complaints about economic issues. Earlier, the military regime restricted the use of foreign currency for the previous year and strictly controlled import permits to choke off rebel funding flows, and the fallout has paralyzed distribution networks in Yangon. From neighborhood shop owners to taxi drivers and diplomats, citizens from all walks of life are reporting unmitigated damage.
There is growing assessment that shortages of daily necessities have already become routine. Basic consumer goods such as nail polish remover, contact lens solution, cat food, and sanitary pads have stopped circulating, and citizens are barely scraping by by relying on overseas visitors to bring items in. The import restrictions have also fueled a black market, where a pound of yeast that once was a 2,000 kyat transaction (about 1,380 won) is reported to have jumped tenfold.
Global brands have not been spared. Coca-Cola has faced production disruptions as supplies of imported concentrate have been blocked, and some KFC locations have even resorted to serving sauce in plastic bags after running out of sauce packets.
The shortage of goods, coupled with chronic high inflation, is adding to the household burden. According to the World Bank, since the military seized power in a coup, Myanmar's inflation rate has reached 20% to 40%. The overall cost of living—from food and medicine to electricity bills—has been steadily rising, and among Yangon residents, the self-mocking phrase "enduring has become routine" is spreading like a catchphrase.
On the 1st, Myanmar completed voting in three rounds of general elections, and the pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) won a landslide victory. According to state media, the party secured a majority in the bicameral legislature (664 seats) and will elect a new president through an indirect vote within 60 days. The new government is set to launch in April.
However, during the general election process, reports indicate that a bloody situation left hundreds of civilians dead. During the election period, the military regime carried out more than 400 airstrikes, killing 170 civilians, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said in a statement. The 11 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) say they will not recognize the results of Myanmar's election.
But citizens believe a more immediate crisis has hit their livelihoods before democracy. A merchant running a bicycle parts import business said in an interview with the NYT, "I waited a full five months to obtain an import permit, but in the end had to pay an expense to a broker linked to the military," adding, "the military is demanding $1 to bring in goods worth 70 cents."