BANGKOK (AP) — The Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar has been plagued by wars and natural disasters since it became independent from Britain in 1948…
The Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar has been plagued by wars and natural disasters since it became independent from Britain in 1948, when it was still called Burma.
Relief efforts from Friday’s devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake will be especially complicated with the country in embroiled in civil war, which began after the army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021.
The main resistance movement against military rule has issued a statement saying it is unilaterally initiating a two-week ceasefire beginning Sunday in areas of the country affected by the quake.
There was no immediate reaction from the military government, which even before the earthquake — in addition to employing massive repression and state violence — heavily restricted much-needed aid to the more than 3 million people displaced by war.
The army’s ability to facilitate or block food and other assistance has been described as a way of weaponizing aid. Critics of the military government have called repeatedly for outside assistance to be delivered directly to areas under control of the resistance.
The military, which has directly or indirectly ruled Myanmar most of the time since independence, seized power from Suu Kyi’s government as it was about to begin a second five-year term. She and leaders of her National League for Democracy party were jailed, and security forces put down pro-democracy demonstrations with deadly force, leading to the growth of armed resistance, and the army in turn escalating its violence.
