Vendors in Myingyan flee due to inability to pay debts as authorities ban villagers buying food and groceries from town

Mizzima

Local residents and vendors report that as the Myanmar junta has banned people from surrounding villages coming into the town of Myingyan, Mandalay Region, to purchase medicine and basic food items for two weeks, vendors of meat, fish, and vegetables in the town have had to halt their businesses and are fleeing because they cannot pay off debts and daily-interest loans.

Local residents stated that the ban preventing villagers from coming to make purchases in Myingyan started on 5 September and remains ongoing as of 18 September, while the exact reason for the restriction is still unclear.

“Since we can no longer sell goods, we cannot pay our daily-interest loans. If you borrow 300,000 kyats on a daily repayment basis, you have to pay back about 15,000 kyat a day for both principal and interest, which totals to about 450,000 kyats a month. Normally, it keeps circulating smoothly. Now, vegetable vendors and mobile vendors with motorcycles running from village to village have completely stopped going around the villages. Because creditors are demanding payments every day, we are running around for hiding,” a vendor told Mizzima.

Vendors noted that perishable goods like meat and fish cannot be sold as usual, causing them to spoil and rot, leading to situations where they have to be thrown away.

According to local vegetable and grocery sellers, there are 183 villages in Myingyan Township, and under normal circumstances previously, people from over 150 villages would come to Myingyan town to buy food and consumer products.

A local resident stated that among vegetable traders, there are no less than 150 buyers per day, with at least two people from each village typically visiting the town to make purchases.

Sometimes, buyers also come from neighbouring townships to Myingyan.

“With a single motorcycle, they come to buy at least 1,000,000 kyats worth of goods. Now, street vendors don’t even dare to sell. Seeing people coming makes them expect debt collections, so they are avoiding the lenders,” another vegetable vendor told Mizzima.

Vendors mentioned that meat sellers normally sell between 30 to 50 viss of meat per day, while major wholesalers can record sales reaching hundreds of viss. (one viss approximately equals to 1.6 Kg)

Therefore, as the current continues, they state they are facing immense hardships.

Additionally, vendors and merchants reported that checkpoints at the town’s entrances and exits have involved discarding rice, beatings, and threats to life if rice purchases are discovered, resulting in villagers completely stopping their trips to buy goods in town.

Locals stated that although similar restrictions were imposed in neighbouring Taungtha and Natogyi towns, they were relaxed on 11 September, whereas Myingyan continues to face a strict ongoing ban to this day.

Sources indicate that it is currently becoming increasingly difficult to obtain food and medicine in the villages, and prices are also gradually rising.

Furthermore, while people are allowed to pass through, it is known that travel restrictions are imposed on village youths aged 14 to 30 heading to Myingyan town.

Local residents report that since 2025 within Myingyan District, essential food items among vegetables and grocery such as rice, cooking oil, and salt, have only been permitted for purchase under limited quotas.