Arakan Army imposes restrictions on the import of alcohol into Rakhine State

Correction: An earlier version of this story erroneously named Grand Royal whiskey as one of the liquors produced by a Myanmar military-owned conglomerate. Grand Royal whiskey is produced by Grand Royal Group, which is not owned by the Myanmar military or its associates. According to the firm's website and other sources, Grand Royal Group is a majority-owned subsidiary of the Thai Beverage Public Company Limited, commonly known as ThaiBev, a publicly traded entity based in Thailand. The Arakan Army (AA) issued an order last week prohibiting the import of beer and other alcoholic beverages into Rakhine State from both international and domestic sources.Dated September 19, the order states that any remaining alcohol stocks must be sold within three months, with no further imports allowed during the ongoing conflict.An official from the AA's Nova 1 military region explained that the directive came from the group’s central command, with specific instructions tailored for each military region.“The main reason for the ban is the economic difficulties facing the country. As commodity prices soar, the consumption of imported alcohol is contributing to this inflation,” he said.He also noted that the AA aims to prevent residents from purchasing products linked to Myanmar’s military. “Money from Rakhine State is flowing to foreign countries. The banned products include those produced by the military council; buying them feels like supporting them,” he explained.The AA hopes to eventually produce quality alcohol domestically at more affordable prices.Currently, most alcoholic beverages sold in Rakhine State, such as Myanmar Beer, are produced by military-owned conglomerates The AA had previously banned military-produced food and alcohol during the Thingyan water festival in April 2022. Since then, there have been growing calls for a boycott of military-produced goods, including alcohol, cigarettes, and SIM cards from state-owned telecom company Mytel.However, the lack of alternatives for some products has made it challenging for many consumers to participate in these boycotts. This has led some activists to urge the AA to impose penalties on companies selling military-produced items.Since the military coup in February 2021, its business operations have faced consumer boycotts, significantly impacting sales. In response, the regime has begun disguising some of its products as new brands.

Arakan Army imposes restrictions on the import of alcohol into Rakhine State

The ban on alcoholic beverages coming from outside of the state is aimed mainly at products produced by military-linked companies

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