Japanese Executive Sentenced in Myanmar for Rice Price Violation

A Myanmar court sentenced a Japanese executive from Aeon Co's local unit to one year in prison for violating rice price controls. The official was among four executives arrested for selling rice at inflated prices. Aeon Co is working for his early release amid ongoing political turmoil in Myanmar.

A Myanmar court has sentenced a Japanese executive from the local branch of Aeon Co, a supermarket chain operator, to one year in prison for flouting rice price controls. This information was reported by Kyodo news agency, citing unnamed diplomatic sources.

The Japanese retail giant confirmed the imprisonment duration for the executive, who led the products division at the Myanmar unit, but did not elaborate on the specific charges. Alongside him, Myanmar's state media reported the arrest of four supermarket chain executives, including a member of a Japanese joint venture, accused of selling rice at inflated prices.

Myanmar, a Southeast Asian country wracked by political turmoil since a 2021 military coup, frequently grants prisoner amnesties. 'We will continue to do our utmost for an early release,' an Aeon Co spokesperson told Reuters. Notably, Japanese filmmaker Toru Kubota, sentenced to 10 years in Myanmar for sedition and communication violations in 2022, was released in a subsequent mass amnesty.

(With inputs from agencies.)