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Alarming rice shortage in Arakan St



Subject: Alarming rice shortage in Arakan State of Burma

Alarming rice shortage in Arakan State of Burma

>From Our Reporter

September 7, Dhaka: Reports coming out from the Arakan State of Burma
say that the people are facing acute shortage and sky-rocketing prices
of rice in Arakan State. The price of a bag of rice (53 Kg.) has gone up
from Kyats 3,000 to 5,000 in a single month. While the price for a small
basket of rice is almost equivalent to a day-income of a common person
in Burma, the people face increasing difficulties for day- to- day meal.

In the cities, many people are seen with their young children begging
for rice while many farmers in the villages have to kill their livestock
for exchange with rice. Poor farmers, who do not have cattle to kill,
look for the vegetables and fruits in the jungle to exchange for rice.

The reason behind the present rice shortage is related to the possible
outbreak of a people?s uprising on 9th of this month, the date set by
exiled Burma pro-democracy groups to rise up against the rule of
military junta in Burma. The people start buying rice in a large
quantity while traders keep rice in store as the authorities warned them
not to increase the price of the staple food.

Arakan State, which is bordering with Bangladesh, is traditionally one
of the rice-bowls of Burma.