Myanmar’s military declared a temporary ceasefire in the country’s civil war to facilitate relief efforts following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake that has killed more than 3,000 people, reports AP.
Citing country’s state television MRTV, the media reported that the announcement made on Wednesday by the military’s high command.
According to the report, the truce would run until April 22 and was aimed at showing compassion for people affected by Friday’s quake.
The announcement followed unilateral temporary ceasefires announced by armed resistance groups opposed to military rule. Those groups must refrain from attacking the state, or regrouping, or else the military will take “necessary” measures, the army’s statement said.
Earlier Wednesday, rescuers pulled two men alive from the ruins of a hotel in Myanmar’s capital and a third from a guesthouse in another city, five days after the quake. But most teams were finding only bodies.
The quake hit midday Friday, toppling thousands of buildings, collapsing bridges and buckling roads. The death toll rose to 3,003 on Wednesday, with more than 4,500 people injured, MRTV reported. Local reports suggest much higher figures.
The earthquake came amid civil war in Myanmar, making a dire humanitarian crisis even worse. More than 3 million people had been displaced from their homes and nearly 20 million were in need even before it hit, according to the United Nations.
Two of the major armed resistance forces fighting the military, which seized power in 2021 from the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, had announced ceasefires to facilitate the humanitarian response to the earthquake, though the military initially did not relent in its attacks.
Resistance groups have announced ceasefires
The Three Brotherhood Alliance, one of a powerful group of militias that has taken a large swath of the country from the military, announced a unilateral one-month ceasefire on Tuesday to facilitate the humanitarian response.
The shadow opposition National Unity Government founded by lawmakers ousted in 2021 had already called a ceasefire for its forces.
The announcements had put pressure on the military government to follow suit.
Bd-Pratidin English/ AM
