Life for Matupi residents has become even harder after the Tatmadaw took control of the sale of gasoline and rice, which were already in short supply in the town in southern Chin State.
“Infantry Battalion 140 has taken over gasoline and rice supplies in Matupi… We have to show our national ID card before we can buy fuel, and each family is only allowed to buy 5 gallons (about 23 litres), which are sold once a week,” a local told Khonumthung News.
The Burma Army (BA) fears that gasoline and rice will end up in the hands of the local chapter of the Chinland Defence Force (CDF), which is fighting with the military, he explained.
According to another man, they can only get two bags of rice, which isn’t enough.
“If we want to buy rice, we have to show our national ID card at a military checkpoint, which is then checked by two soldiers… Each family is only allowed to buy 30 eggs.” He said that day labourers are struggling and some people don’t have any rice to eat.
Currently, a bag of rice goes for 38,000 kyat ($19), while the cost of gasoline has increased from 1,000 kyat (50 cents) to 2,500 ($1.30) per litre, which is too expensive for most in Matupi.
Since May, the BA has been in conflict with CDF in southern and northern Chin State.