Shop owners in the Ayeyarwady Region said that the Military Council is forcing them to sell the Aung Bar Lay lottery and a variety of alcoholic beverages, including Myanmar beer, all of which are produced by their joint venture companies.
Due to pressure and threats, various alcoholic drinks, including Myanmar beer produced by the Military Council, must be sold in hotels, KTVs, restaurants, as well as soft drink and liquor shops. Departmental employees are also required to buy the Military Council's Aung Bar Lay lottery, with a 10 percent deduction from their salaries.
"The main product is Myanmar beer. They also pressure us to buy alcohol and cigarettes from military-owned Myanma Economic Holdings Limited (MEHL) and other crony companies, and then sell them back. If we refuse to sell, they create problems for us. They threaten fines and license revocation," explained a restaurant manager.
In the initial week of September, restaurants in several townships, including Pathein, Nyaungdon, and Myaungmya, refrained from selling Myanmar beer. According to reports from some of these restaurants, they were later fined 1 million kyat each by municipal authorities.
According to employees at the Ayeyarwady Region Military Council General Administration Office, they have been instructed to promptly purchase one packet of Aung Bar Lay lottery per person through Mytel Pay, deducting ten percent of the department employee's salary on payday. Subsequently, they are required to capture a screenshot and discreetly send it to the department head via Viber.
"All departments are mandated to purchase the online lottery, and they are also coerced into acquiring and using a Mytel SIM card. These costs are deducted from their salary at the end of the month, placing additional financial strain on low-paid employees," explained a secondary school teacher.
Restaurants in Pathein Township are apprehensive that they might face reprisals from revolutionary forces due to the Military Council's pressure to sell Myanmar beer and alcohol produced by the military. Additionally, if they refuse to comply, they fear being arrested by the Military Council on terrorism charges, which could result in imprisonment.
Furthermore, the Military Council has notified and threatened restaurants and liquor stores in the Ayeyarwady Region that they will conduct inspections and take measures to verify the sale of military-produced alcohol, beer, and consumer goods in these establishments.
The revolutionary forces have also called for a boycott of products including Myanmar Beer, Andaman Gold Beverages, Dagon Beer and Beverages, Mandalay beer and rum, Army Rum, and Black Shield Stout Beer, all produced by the Military Council.
