Myanmar’s ruling military junta has declared a temporary ceasefire until 22 April to facilitate earthquake relief efforts and show compassion to the people affected, state television MRTV has reported.
The statement from the military’s high command follows unilateral temporary ceasefires announced by armed resistance groups opposed to military rule.
MRTV said ethnic armed groups and local militias must refrain from attacking state security forces and military bases, and must not organise, gather forces or expand territory.
If those groups do not follow those conditions, the army will take the necessary measures, the statement said.
Five days after the deadly earthquake struck central Myanmar, hopes are fading of finding other survivors, with rescue crews hampered by the ongoing civil war, as well as by the severe damage the quake has caused to roads and bridges.
MRTV reported on Wednesday that the death toll in Myanmar has risen to 2,886, with another 4,639 people injured.
In neighbouring Thailand, which was also affected, authorities said that at least 22 people had been killed.
The death toll in Myanmar is expected to rise above 3,000 on Wednesday, said Min Aung Hlaing, the junta chief who seized power in a military coup in 2021.
Humanitarian groups have called for a ceasefire between the military and various armed ethnic groups to facilitate aid deliveries.
Although some rebel groups have announced unilateral ceasefires, reports suggest that the junta is still launching attacks in areas damaged by the earthquake.
Earlier, Tom Andrews, the UN’s special rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar, had said military attacks must stop.
“The focus in Myanmar must be on saving lives, not taking them,” he said.
Friday’s earthquake has worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis in Myanmar.
Even before the disaster, nearly 20 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.
