Junta forces have prohibited the sale of fuel in Lawpita, a military-controlled town in Loikaw Township, Karenni State, according to local residents.

The ban has been enforced for approximately a week. Local vendors have halted sales out of fear after word-of-mouth warnings circulated that anyone caught selling fuel would face heavy fines and further legal action from junta authorities.

“We haven’t been allowed to sell fuel for about a week now,” a 30-year-old female resident told Kantarawaddy Times. “From what I’ve heard, anyone caught selling will be fined. That’s why shop owners don’t dare sell, though a few shops are still operating surreptitiously.”

Due to the restriction, fuel prices have surged to around 8,000 kyats per liter on the local black market.

Lawpita relies almost entirely on the main transport artery connecting it to Loikaw for essential supplies. A male resident noted that junta forces had already cut off fuel transport into the town long before the recent commercial sales ban.

“Military checkpoints along the Loikaw–Lawpita route stopped allowing fuel shipments a long time ago—that part isn't new,” he said.

While Lawpita remains under junta control, the area sees periodic skirmishes between military troops and local anti-junta resistance forces operating nearby.