Residents Around Waingmaw Township Struggle with Livelihoods as Farming Remains Prohibited

Pajau Media

April 25, 2025

In the area around Waingmaw town, Kachin State, the State Administration Council (SAC) has prohibited farming for food since around 2023 following the coup, and as of now, residents have still not been permitted to resume cultivation, leading to worsening living conditions, according to local sources.

"Before, during farming season, we didn’t have to worry about rice—we only needed money for oil and salt. But now, besides oil and salt, we also have to buy rice and other vegetables," said a Waingmaw resident.

Previously, Waingmaw residents relied on farming for their food, so they only needed to spend money on oil and salt, with no extra costs for rice and produce. However, at present, they must purchase not only oil and salt but also rice and other vegetables, making daily survival increasingly difficult, a local man explained.

Moreover, although the people in and around Waingmaw Township primarily depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, the SAC has still not allowed them to resume farming. As a result, they are worried about how they will continue to support themselves in the future, and the current surge in commodity prices has made life even harder than before, the same man added.

"We mainly depend on farming for our food, but since we haven’t been allowed to resume cultivation yet, we don’t know how we’ll survive going forward. Prices keep rising without any relief, making life much harder than before," he continued.

Currently, due to frequent airstrikes, artillery shelling, and drone attacks by the military council in and around Waingmaw, local residents have been forced to flee and seek shelter in nearby areas.

News: Hpring