Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has rejected ceasefire proposals from rebel groups seeking to facilitate aid to areas impacted by Friday’s deadly earthquake as concerns mount over how the civil conflict could hinder relief efforts.
The death toll in the earthquake has reached 2,886, with 4,639 injured and 373 missing, China’s state-run Xinhua reported on Wednesday, citing Myanmar’s state administration council information team.
A pro-democracy shadow government allied to detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi declared a two-week ceasefire following the quake in central Myanmar.
With the figure likely to grow, another alliance of rebel groups that had made substantial territorial gains against the regime also announced it would not initiate offensive operations for a month.
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“Some ethnic armed organisations are not currently engaged in combat but are organising and training for future attacks,” the junta leader said during a fundraising event Tuesday in Naypyidaw, the country’s capital.
“As their actions are still considered attacks, the Tatmadaw [Myanmar’s military] will continue to take necessary security measures,” he said, according to comments provided by the State Administration Council.
The remarks are another sign there may be little reprieve in a conflict that reignited four years ago after the military seized control of much of the nation in a coup.
Even as the damage of the 7.7 magnitude quake was still being assessed, pro-democracy rebel groups reported fresh military air strikes on Friday in areas close to the epicentre.
The junta on Wednesday said its troops fired warning shots when a Chinese Red Cross aid convoy failed to heed the military’s instructions to stop while driving in a conflict zone.
Junta spokesperson Zaw Min Tun said the incident took place late on Tuesday and the Chinese Red Cross had not informed the government or the embassy of its presence in the area.
He said the security team fired shots after the convoy, which included local vehicles, had failed to stop. – Agencies
