A Japanese national, Hiroshi Kasamatsu, faces a one-year prison sentence in Myanmar for allegedly violating military-imposed price regulations by selling rice above set limits.
Diplomatic sources report that Myanmar’s military has released a Japanese businessman who was sentenced to one year in prison for breaking rice price controls. The businessman, Kasamatsu Hiroshi, is the head of the merchandise division at Aeon Orange, a local branch of the Japanese retail giant Aeon. He was arrested in Yangon in June for allegedly selling rice at prices higher than those set by the military, leading to his indictment and prison sentence.
This landmark case marks the first prison term for a Japanese employee linked to business activities since Myanmar’s military coup in 2021.
Aeon employee Hiroshi Kasamatsu, 53, had been charged with breaching the country’s law on daily necessities and services by selling rice at prices higher than levels set by the military regime.
The Yangon court is ruled by the military regime. This reportedly marks the first time that a Japanese national and an employee of a Japanese company have been sentenced to prison in a business-related case in Myanmar since 2021’s military coup in this Southeast Asian country.
Although the Japanese government has been working toward the early release of Kasamatsu, who was taken into custody by the military regime on June 30, there are fears that his detention may be prolonged.
About Hiroshi Kasamatsu:
According to diplomatic sources, Kasamatsu is being detained at the Insein prison in Yangon. Aeon commented that the company would do its best to have Kasamatsu released at an early date.
Kasamatsu is head of the product department at the Yangon-based supermarket joint venture of Aeon. He was indicted on July 11.
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