The military council is demanding 20 million kyats from each industrial zone in Yangon, claiming it is for earthquake relief efforts, according to a letter sent to Shwe Lin Ban Industrial Zone in Hlaing Tharyar Township. Following the earthquake that occurred on March 28, which caused damages and casualties in Naypyidaw, Mandalay, and Sagaing regions, the military council is using this disaster as justification to collect these mandatory contributions from industrial zones.
In response to the military council’s demands, the Shwe Lin Ban Industrial Zone Management Committee in Hlaing Tharyar Township has instructed factory owners within the zone to contribute 100,000 kyats per factory by April 4. Currently, there are 29 industrial zones throughout Yangon Region, all of which are temporarily suspended due to ongoing power outages. This situation has already placed significant strain on business operations and manufacturing capabilities.
The military council’s demand for financial contributions comes at a particularly challenging time when factory owners are already struggling with operational shutdowns due to electricity shortages. This creates an additional burden on business owners who are already facing significant hardships. Moreover, while the military council claims these funds are for earthquake victims’ relief efforts, there are serious concerns about whether these collected funds will actually reach the affected civilians. The lack of transparency and the military council’s history of misappropriating funds raise significant doubts about the true destination and use of these forced contributions.
