A court in Myanmar on Monday handed down a one-year prison sentence to a Japanese national working in the country for retailer Aeon, diplomatic sources said.

The Aeon employee, Hiroshi Kasamatsu, 53, had been charged with violating the country's law on daily necessities and services by selling rice at prices higher than levels set by the military regime.

The court in Yangon, Myanmar's largest city, is under the control of the military regime.