Myanmar Junta Ends Quake Truce Amid Ongoing Air Strikes

The Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s military regime has allowed a ceasefire, declared in the wake of last month’s devastating earthquake, to quietly expire—despite ongoing humanitarian needs and widespread violations of the truce during its brief existence.

The temporary pause in hostilities, announced on 2 April to facilitate aid delivery after the 7.7-magnitude quake, officially ended at midnight on Wednesday (1 May). No extension was offered, and junta officials made no public statement. Attempts to reach a spokesperson were unsuccessful.

The earthquake, the strongest recorded on Myanmar’s landmass since 1912, struck the central region on 28 March, killing nearly 3,800 people and displacing tens of thousands. Aid agencies warn that the looming monsoon season could worsen conditions for survivors still lacking adequate shelter.

Though the ceasefire was intended to allow relief efforts to reach affected communities, monitors from the UK-based Centre for Information Resilience recorded 65 military air strikes during the period—many targeting the quake-hit central belt. The junta had previously warned it would retaliate against advances by anti-regime forces, a caveat critics say effectively rendered the truce meaningless.

On the ground, clashes between the military and a patchwork of opposition and ethnic armed groups persisted. Fighting intensified in towns along a crucial trade corridor near the Thai border, forcing more civilians to flee amid an already dire humanitarian situation.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has estimated that recovery from the earthquake could take up to two years. With the ceasefire now lapsed and no signs of de-escalation, aid workers fear that continued violence will severely hamper efforts to rebuild.

As the country remains mired in conflict following the 2021 military coup, the collapse of the truce underscores the immense challenges facing Myanmar—not just from natural disasters, but from manmade ones too.

-2025-05-02