Myanmar’s junta is allegedly extorting 6 million kyats monthly from each marble manufacturer in Sagyin village, Mandalay Region, under the pretext of supporting new military recruits.
Since October 2024, small-scale marble and stone carving entrepreneurs have been forced to pay these exorbitant amounts, causing many to halt operations and flee the village.
A businessman revealed that beginning in March 2023 the military set an initial fee of 50,000 to 100,000 kyats per business owner, but this amount was drastically increased to 5-6 million kyats in October 2024.
“People have fled the village, and now only a few of us remain. We are the only ones still running the marble business. No one is at ease, except for having enough food. The market is also down, so the business is struggling. In the midst of this crisis, the military is demanding 5-6 million kyats from us, forcing us to halt our operations,” he said.
The extortion has led to significant economic strain, with businesses struggling due to a downturn in the market and lack of orders, particularly from China.
“If we’re in trouble, our workers will be in trouble too. There aren’t many people left in the village, and the rest are doing their best to avoid unemployment. Some have already stopped their businesses for a long time because of the political situation and the current crisis. Our businesses depend on the domestic market, so we have to wait for orders. China no longer orders from us as they did before, and even if they do, the orders wouldn’t cover the transportation costs. We’ve decided to stop operations at the end of this month,” said another marble businessman.
Only about 20 businessmen remain in Sagyin village, while others have fled due to the conflict and frequent clashes around Sagyin Mountain, forcing most locals to flee to Mandalay and Madaya towns. Junta forces have been stationed in the village, leading to further extortion and arrests of workers. The remaining villagers are doing their best to avoid unemployment amidst the ongoing crisis.
