Burmese Military confiscates alcohol imports from Thailand
Thu 26 Nov 2009, Ar kar
As of two weeks ago, the Burmese military has been confiscating imported Thai alcohol, claiming that the products have passed their expiration date. Outraged merchants have denied the claims.
The confiscations, which IMNA’s sources claim began the second week of November, have been taking place at Kyiakhto checkpoint in Mon State, and are ongoing. Kyiakhto town is located on the major highway that runs from Mayawaddy to Rangoon.
A Burmese alcohol merchant who traffics his goods from Myawaddy to Rangoon informed IMNA that “the government said that the reason [for the confiscations] was that the beer and alcohol’s expiration date had gone by, and then they confiscated the beer and alcohol which was being carried from Myawaddy to Rangoon. When the traders arrive at Kyaikhto checkpoint it [the alcohol] was confiscated. For sure, its expiration date was not gone by. We were transporting it as we normally do, but this time they stopped the car [at the checkpoint] and arrested us. The fine for carrying the material [the expired alcohol] in the car is 10 million kyat.”
The major sites for importing alcohol products into Burma from Thailand are the border cities of Myawaddy, Three Pagoda Pass and Kawthoung; Myawaddy is largely considered to be the central hub of commercial exchange between the two nations.
A second trader informed IMNA that up until the recent confiscations, confrontations between the Burmese military and alcohol importers were relatively rare, and usually involved minor acts of extortion by the Burmese military. Reports also indicate that the Burmese military skipped over normal legal proceedings before commencing the confiscations at the Kyaik Hto checkpoint. In theory, the military is supposed to receive an official recommendation from the government-run Burmese Food and Drug Administration before it confiscates a product.
An employee of the Burmese FDA in Rangoon stated “last week, we saw in the Myanmar news a report that beer and other kinds of alcohol being carried from the border had expired. Our group did not recommend that the Burmese government start the confiscations and arrest, but we can tell when the alcohol has gone past its expiration date. We have been educated in how to protect health, and how to protect [the people’s] health from expired alcohol.”
Traders at the border informed IMNA that Thai alcohol products labeled “only for export” are actually the same as those sold within Thailand itself; the main difference is that Thai factories actually produce the beverages in question with longer shelf lives than those sold in Thailand. Alcohol sold in Burma is also half the price of its Thai counterpart.
According to at Myawaddy trader, a 24-can pack of beer purchased at the border costs 14000 kyat [400 baht]; this trader imports 4,000 to 8,000 packs a day to Rangoon, where he sell it for double its purchase price. The alcohol trade is highly profitable in Burma, not only because of the high rate of return, but also because alcohol products are far less perishable than foodstuffs, like onions.
Thai alcohol imported from the border area, such as “Regency” whiskey, is in very high demand in Burma. Certain brands of Thai beer, such as “Leo” and “Chang” can be attained with more ease in cities like Moulmein and Pa’an Town, where a bottle reportedly costs 1,200 kyat.
