Japanese executive among dozens arrested in Myanmar for allegedly selling rice above set prices

BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s state-run media say the country’s military government has arrested a Japanese business executive, along with dozens of local businessmen, for allegedly selling rice at prices well above the officially regulated ones. The reports say a director of Aeon Orange was detained. Aeon Orange operates several supermarkets in Myanmar and is part of Japan’s giant Aeon retail group. Rice is vital as Myanmar struggles to keep its economy on an even keel as civil war disrupts efforts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The reports say the arrests involve dozens of warehouses, mills and supermarkets in major cities.