Military junta forces in central Myanmar have banned residents from surrounding villages from entering key towns in Mandalay Region’s Myingyan District to purchase food and medicine, according to residents and an activist group.
The ban applies to major commercial hubs in the district, including Myingyan, Taungtha, and Natogyi Towns.
Locals reported that junta troops and members of the allied Pyusawhti militia at entry and exit checkpoints are confiscating basic supplies, physically assaulting buyers, and threatening them with death if they attempt to transport goods back to their villages.
The restrictions began in Myingyan and Taungtha on September 5, and extended to Natogyi on September 7, according to local sources and the Myingyan Public Movement Committee.
“They strictly prohibit us from bringing back rice, cooking oil, or medicine,” a Myingyan resident told Mizzima. “They told us, ‘Do not come at all. If you return, we will shoot you dead.’ All roads linking the towns and villages are now blocked.”
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Sources indicate the travel ban could remain in place for 10 to 15 days, mimicking the military's long-standing "Four Cuts" doctrine—a counter-insurgency strategy designed to sever food, funding, intelligence, and recruitment lines to resistance forces.
Checkpoint inspections have grown increasingly violent. Residents carrying more than 4.2 kilograms of rice are reportedly physically assaulted, while those carrying smaller quantities have their food confiscated and discarded.
The restrictions pose a severe threat to food security in Myingyan District. Located in Myanmar’s arid Dry Zone, the area relies heavily on imported rice from irrigated regions like Ayeyarwady and Sagaing.
Local farmers primarily cultivate cash crops such as pulses, sesame, cotton, and onions, producing very little rice of their own.
While the junta has restricted the movement of food, oil, and salt in Myingyan District since last year—often subjecting villagers to extortion and transit fees of up to 5,000 MMK ($2.30 USD) per bag of rice—the complete closure of access roads marks a sharp escalation in enforcement.
