In a stark illustration of Myanmar's economic and political turmoil, Pyae Phyo Zaw, a shopkeeper, has been incarcerated for a seemingly innocuous act: giving his employees a raise during a period of rampant inflation. This action, intended as a relief for his staff amidst soaring living costs, instead led to the shuttering of his three cellphone shops and his arrest by soldiers of Myanmar's military government.
Pyae Phyo Zaw is not alone in facing such repercussions. Reports indicate that at least 10 other shopkeepers have met similar fates, all charged under a vaguely-worded law aimed at quelling dissent. Under this law, they could face up to three years in prison, accused of "undermining the regime" by allegedly inflating public perceptions of economic instability.
According to legal experts cited in a New York Times report, while there is no explicit prohibition on wage increases in Myanmar, the military junta views such actions as provocative amidst the country's economic crisis. The regime asserts that raising wages amid inflation could incite public unrest, citing it as a disturbance to "peace and order."
One of Pyae Phyo Zaw's employees, speaking anonymously, lamented the closure of their workplace following the salary hike, underscoring the plight of ordinary citizens grappling with exorbitant prices and diminishing economic stability.
Since the military coup in 2021 that ousted Myanmar's democratically-elected government, the country has plunged into deep economic crisis amid widespread public resistance to military rule. Australian economist Sean Turnell described Myanmar's post-2021 economy as teetering on the brink of collapse, marked by chaos and severe economic deterioration.
As Pyae Phyo Zaw's case gains international attention, it highlights broader concerns about human rights and economic freedoms in Myanmar, where basic economic activities can lead to imprisonment under a repressive regime.
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