This article was originally published by Radio Free Asia and is reprinted with permission.
Myanmar’s military government on Wednesday announced a three-week ceasefire across the war-torn country to help facilitate recovery efforts in the wake of last week’s devastating earthquake that killed nearly 3,000 people.
The ruling junta’s statement, broadcast on state-run MRTV, said the ceasefire would last until April 22.
Myanmar has been mired in a civil war since the military overthrew a civilian government in a February 2021 coup d’etat. Since then, rebel groups have pushed back junta troops across much of the country.
The junta’s statement said that during the ceasefire, armed groups were not allowed to attack communication routes used by civilians or the military, nor could they recruit new soldiers or expand territory under their control. Any violations would be met with a response.
Three major ethnic armies fighting the junta — the Arakan Army, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army — announced a ceasefire until April 30.
The groups said their ceasefire was meant to allow search-and-rescue operations in disaster areas and to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches people in need quickly and effectively.
Similarly, the shadow National Unity Government, made up former civilian leaders, has also declared a two-week ceasefire from April 1 as part of the same humanitarian efforts.
2 men rescued from rubble
The military junta raised the death toll from Friday’s 7.7 magnitude quake that was centered near Mandalay, the country’s second-biggest city, to 2,886, with 4,639 injured and 373 missing.
However, since there were still many areas where rescue operations have not been able to take place, the number of dead was likely to rise.
On Wednesday, two men buried in rubble for five days near the capital of Naypyidaw were pulled out alive, according to a Facebook post.
One of them, 26-year-old Ko Naing Lin Tun, was presumed dead, and his family had even held a memorial service for him. He and his friend Ko Thet Maung Maung were trapped under the rubble of Aye Thar Yar Hotel.
After surviving for five days, they were both pulled to safety, video footage showed.
Chinese aid convoy gets shot at
China, meanwhile, responded to an incident Tuesday in which junta soldiers opened fire at a Chinese Red Cross convoy of nine vehicles carrying emergency supplies in northern Myanmar. There were no injuries to the passengers or damage to their supplies.
Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said China would ensure the security of the Chinese rescue teams and relief supplies sent for quake relief.
The military junta acknowledged on Wednesday morning that its troops had fired three shots into the air as the Chinese convoy approached. Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, the junta’s spokesperson, claimed that the convoy did not give prior notice, leading to the shooting as a preventive measure when the convoy was 100 meters away.
The junta’s announcement of the temporary ceasefire came hours after the incident, and follows calls from the United Nations for unrestricted humanitarian access to the quake zone and safety for those providing help.
A total of 14 planes carrying aid and emergency teams from seven countries arrived at the Naypyidaw military-controlled airport on Tuesday. Countries sending relief included Russia, Indonesia, Thailand, Bhutan, the Philippines, Laos and Bangladesh.
Myanmar is one of Southeast Asia’s poorest countries and poorly equipped to cope with the disaster. Four years of civil war have displaced more than 3 million people.
Junta leader to Bangkok
Despite the quake, the junta’s top leader, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, will be attending a regional summit in Bangkok on Thursday and Friday, state-run MRTV reported on Wednesday evening.
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, or BIMSTEC, summit focuses on cooperation in technology and economic development. Attendees include India, Thailand, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.
During the visit, Min Aung Hlaing is expected to discuss international cooperation for disaster relief efforts and post-disaster reconstruction.
His participation in the summit was criticized by the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, or APHR, which said that doing so would give legitimacy to the military government.
“The people of Myanmar are still resisting the oppression of the military regime. Instead of supporting these people, BIMSTEC is providing a platform for the military government,” said APHR member and Thai parliamentarian Rangsiman Rome.
