Myanmar Junta Extends Ceasefire Amid Earthquake Aftermath

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Myanmar’s military regime has extended a fragile ceasefire until 30 April to allow relief efforts to continue following last month’s devastating earthquake, state media announced on Tuesday.

 

The move comes after a 7.7 magnitude quake struck near Mandalay on 1 April, killing more than 3,700 people and flattening entire communities in one of Southeast Asia’s poorest countries. The disaster has compounded the nation’s already dire humanitarian crisis, with much of the infrastructure damaged and access to aid limited by ongoing conflict.

 

Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing initially called a 20-day ceasefire earlier this month “out of sympathy and understanding for the people affected,” according to state broadcasts. The extension is meant to facilitate rescue, rebuilding, and aid delivery in quake-hit regions.

 

Despite the truce, reports from the United Nations and humanitarian organisations suggest that military activity has continued in parts of the country, including airstrikes. This has raised concerns over the sincerity of the ceasefire and its effectiveness on the ground.

 

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the 2021 coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government, triggering nationwide protests that evolved into a broad armed resistance. The conflict has displaced over two million people and left vast areas of the country inaccessible to international aid.

 

The ceasefire extension follows rare talks held last week between Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, junta officials, and a major resistance group. As current chair of ASEAN, Anwar has pushed for humanitarian access and dialogue, though the bloc has struggled to make meaningful inroads in resolving the crisis.

 

As relief teams race to assist survivors in Mandalay and surrounding areas, aid workers continue to call for unrestricted access and a genuine commitment to peace.

 

While the junta’s gesture may signal a temporary easing of tensions, many fear it could be short-lived—another pause in a war that has devastated lives and tested the limits of regional diplomacy.

 

-2025-04-23