Myanmar’s Economic Crisis: Business Owners Arrested for Generosity

Amid Myanmar’s economic turmoil, the owner of three cellphone shops in Mandalay decided to give his employees a raise to help them cope with the plunging currency and soaring inflation. However, this act of kindness led to unexpected consequences.

Upon hearing about the wage increase on Facebook, the military regime viewed it as inciting public unrest. The owner, U Pyae Phyo Zaw, was swiftly arrested by soldiers and police officers. His three shops were forcibly closed, and he was charged with undermining the regime under a vague law commonly used to suppress dissent.

Notably, Mr. Pyae Phyo Zaw is just one of at least 10 business owners who have been arrested recently for similar reasons. Although raising wages is not illegal, they are accused of misleading the public about the economic situation, potentially causing unrest. If convicted, they could face up to three years in prison.

A notice posted outside one of Mr. Pyae Phyo Zaw’s shops cited the reason for closure as disturbing “the peace and order of the community,” reflecting the regime’s heavy-handed tactics.

One of the affected employees, speaking anonymously, expressed gratitude for the salary increase but lamented the sudden closure of the shop, leaving them without income. The economic hardships faced by ordinary people in Myanmar have reached a critical point, fueling despair and uncertainty.

Since the military coup in 2021 and the subsequent protests against the regime, Myanmar has been plunged into an economic crisis, erasing the progress made during the country’s brief period of quasi-democratic rule.