Farmers stop working due to armed clashes and shortage of gasoline

December 12, 2023

HURFOM: In Mon State and Tenasserim Division, frequent armed clashes and a prolonged shortage of gasoline has left farmers with no option but to stop working.

In Sa Khan Gyi village, Long Lone Township, Tenasserim Division, an armed group told local farmers to finish their farm work before 6 pm.

“Having been ordered to finish work before 6 pm, means we can’t finish the harvest in time. If so, there will be a huge loss,” said one farmer.

The military junta has also attacked farmers with drones while harvesting grain near Kyaung Nape village, Pu Law Township.

“The armed groups will not allow harvest machinery to enter the village. We told them we do this every year but they didn’t accept our request. It was worse in Myo Haung village. The farmers hired us but the armed groups will not allow us to enter the village so we couldn’t do our work,” said an owner of harvest machinery.

There have been intense battles between the military junta and revolutionary forces in Kyikemayaw Township, and entire villages have run away, resulting in farmers having to stop their work.

“Now, most of the farmers have to be afraid of both the Burmese military and the armed groups,” said a local farmer from Sa Kha Gyi village, Long Lone Township.

Furthermore, due to prolonged shortage of gasoline, local people have to pay up to 23,000 MMK for a gallon (3.78 liters) of gasoline.

“I’m waiting for a long time to harvest our grain. But I haven’t done it yet because gasoline is very limited. I have to wait so long for my turn (to get farm machinery). If we harvest late, our losses will be bigger,” said a farmer from Ye Township.

Local people spend as much as half a day waiting in a queue at the gas station, leaving little time for their livelihood.

“We can’t buy gasoline so we have to stop harvesting our grain. I went to the gas station and queued for gasoline but when my turn arrived, the station ran out of gasoline. We went again tomorrow but the gas station was closed. No gasoline, no work,” said an owner of farm/harvest machinery from Ka Mar Wet Town, Mon State.

The annual average farm size in Burma is 19 million acres and the Mon State has more than 700,000 acres while the Tenasserim Division has 200,000 acres.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News