Myanmar's Junta Leader to Attend Regional Summit Amid Earthquake Crisis

The death toll from last week's earthquake in Myanmar has surged to 3,085, as Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing prepares to attend a regional summit in Thailand, prompting concerns about ongoing civil unrest and aid access.

 

Myanmar's leader, Min Aung Hlaing, plans to travel to Thailand for a regional summit, even as his country faces severe repercussions following a devastating earthquake. The disaster, which struck last Friday, has claimed over 3,085 lives, injured 4,715 people, and left many others unaccounted for. The junta recently confirmed that Hlaing is scheduled to arrive in Bangkok on Thursday, just before the summit featuring leaders from the seven Bay of Bengal nations.

His attendance at the summit is noteworthy since typically, leaders under international sanctions are excluded from such high-profile gatherings. Thailand, which also felt the tremors, reported 21 casualties from the quake, and has suggested that attending countries work on a unified statement in response to the disaster.

In the aftermath of the earthquake, numerous nations have dispatched humanitarian aid to Myanmar, but ongoing civil strife and inadequate infrastructure have hampered relief efforts. The Myanmar military has declared a temporary ceasefire to expedite aid access, following its previous denial of support for efforts initiated by armed rebel groups. Tensions escalated earlier this week when military forces opened fire on a Chinese Red Cross convoy delivering relief supplies, claiming the trucks refused to halt.

Since the military’s 2021 coup, Myanmar has experienced a complicated civil war, fostering an environment of resistance and unrest. This ongoing conflict has led to economic stagnation, rampant inflation, and a deepening humanitarian crisis, all of which the recent earthquake has exacerbated. Humanitarian organizations are now calling on the junta to eliminate barriers preventing aid distribution as the onset of the monsoon season looms in the coming month. The international community is being urged by the UN to increase assistance efforts to help affected communities.