In Hpakant Town, the jade-mining hub of Kachin State, fuel prices have surged to 70,000 MMK per gallon, forcing some shops to shut down.
After junta troops re-entered Hpakant Township and tightened controls on key routes, the restricted flow of food and fuel supplies drove prices sharply upward.
“It’s true the junta has put restrictions. The junta, along with its allies, the Shanni National Army and some militia groups, have set up checkpoints to enforce them. For example, on the road between Kamaing and Lawa, and at the Nammun and Longton checkpoints in the Indawgyi area, they’re carrying out these restrictions,” said a Hpakant resident.
In the last week of May, around 600 junta and SNA coalition troops entered Hpakant Town, the seat of Hpakant Township, and took control of the routes leading into the area.
Afterward, Hpakant Town faced a shortage of goods, and fuel prices skyrocketed.
Previously, a gallon of fuel in Hpakant Town cost around 20,000 MMK, but it has now surged to between 50,000 and 70,000 MMK.
“Right now, fuel prices aren’t stable. They vary from place to place, anywhere between 50,000 and 70,000 MMK per gallon. From what I know, the fuel stock in town is really low, and most of the shops have already closed,” another Hpakant resident told NMG.
Because of the joint blockade of routes into Hpakant Town by the junta and the SNA, the price of one viss (about 1.6 kilograms) of chicken soared to around 100,000 MMK in July.
After the junta and SNA returned to the town, frequent and intense clashes erupted with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA)-led resistance alliance, which had controlled Hpakant Township for more than a year.
Amid the tense military situation, thousands of residents from villages in Hpakant Township including Lone Khin, Hsengtaung, Sharaw Hka, and Mawsisar are fleeing to seek safety.
The junta is ramping up efforts nationwide to reclaim towns lost to resistance forces, and in Kachin State, it is focusing heavily on retaking Hpakant and Waingmaw.
In particular, the junta launched an offensive to regain Hpakant Town, a key hub for both the economy and military, forcing the KIA and allied groups to withdraw from some routes leading to the town and nearby villages.
