India-Myanmar trade disruptions cause price hike
Residents of Arakan State told DVB that hundreds of cargo trucks belonging to merchants from Burma in India’s Lawngtlai District in Mizoram State have been unable to depart since May 25. A merchant told DVB on the condition of anonymity that commodity prices have increased since landslides shut down the India-Burma border trade route into Paletwa Township of Chinland.
In neighbouring Arakan State, residents told DVB that the price of a liter of gasoline has risen from 8,500 to 12,000 MMK ($1.9-2.6 USD), and the price of a liter of edible oil went from 9,000 to 13,000 MMK ($2-2.8 USD) as a result of reduced supplies. The regime has blocked all trade routes into Arakan from the rest of Burma since November 2023 due to its counteroffensive against the Arakan Army (AA).
Residents in areas under AA control, which includes 14 Arakan townships, as well as Paletwa in southern Chinland, rely on cross-border trade with India for basic food items, medicine and fuel. India shares a 1,020 mile (1,643 km) long border with Burma. Mizoram shares a 316 mile (510 km) long border with Chinland, which means residents of Arakan rely on this critical trade route for their livelihoods.
Migrant workers in Middle East report rights violations
Human rights activists told DVB that migrant workers from Burma are facing labor rights violations by their employers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. There are no formal channels to obtain employment in these countries, so workers must use informal channels, which makes them vulnerable to exploitation.
Sai Yu Maung, a labor rights activist, told DVB that workers from Burma are brought into countries in the Middle East on tourist visas due to the lack of paperwork required for entry, but this means they work illegally. “I didn’t receive my salary for some months in 2024 from my previous employer,” a migrant worker from Burma in Iraq told DVB.
The regime’s Ministry of Labour announced restrictions on overseas employment agencies in March, significantly limiting the number of migrant workers allowed per destination country. It set monthly recruitment per agency to 50 workers for Thailand, 15 for Japan, 10 for South Korea, and 5 for Singapore. Over 600 overseas employment agencies operate in Burma, according to the regime.
Families unable to send kids to school due to rising costs
Sources close to the regime’s Ayewarwaddy Region Education Office and residents told DVB that many children are not being sent to school this academic year due to rising costs for educational supplies. The regime Ministry of Education announced on Tuesday that over 6.1 million students have enrolled in basic education schools for the 2025–26 academic year.
“They [regime authorities] came to our house and asked why we couldn’t afford to send our child to school. But they didn’t even offer any assistance,” the parent of a school-aged child in Ayeyarwady told DVB, adding that regime authorities threatened to “take action” against their family if the child wasn’t sent to school.
Over 40 percent of students are not enrolled this year, a source from the Education Office told DVB on the condition of anonymity. The regime stated that the current school enrollment figures include 4,146,251 primary school students, 1,344,236 middle school students, and 628,773 high school students. In the previous academic year, enrollment was nearly 6.4 million, the ministry reported.
News by Region
KAREN—Resistance forces told DVB that 30 regime troops were killed by airstrikes as they seized the Thebawboe outpost in southern Myawaddy Township on Tuesday. Myawaddy is located 81 miles (130 km) east of the state capital Hpa-an, and across the Myanmar-Thailand border from Tak Province.
A source in the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) told DVB that around 40 regime troops were either killed or injured during the nine days of fighting over control of the outpost. The exact number of casualties on both sides hasn’t been reported. Those who weren’t killed surrendered, the KNLA source added. Read more.
NAYPYIDAW—Two people were arrested in Mandalay and Yangon and charged under Section 505(a) of the Penal Code for incitement. The two are accused of selling products on behalf of Chan Chan, a singer alleged to have sent financial support to “terrorist groups.”
“I am simply donating funds to internally displaced persons,” Chan Chan shared on social media on Tuesday. Police are investigating people selling products on behalf of nine celebrities, including Chan Chan, accused of supporting the People Defence Force (PDF).
SHAN—Tension between the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) have escalated in Lashio Township, which is located 134 miles (215 km) north of the SSPP headquarters in Wanhai and 117 miles (188 km) south of Laukkai in the Kokang Self-Administered Zone.
“Both sides have brought in reinforcements and are now establishing defensive positions,” a Lashio resident told DVB. The SSPP claimed that eight MNDAA members were killed during fighting with its Shan State Army (SSA) on Sunday. The MNDAA has not shared any details about the fighting nor has it acknowledged any casualties.
(Exchange rate: $1 USD = 4,440 MMK)
Op-ed: ASEAN’s Women, Peace and Security Agenda: A moral and political failure for Myanmar women. Subscribe to the DVB English News Daily Briefing newsletter.
