The armed resistance movement against Myanmar’s military-run government criticized the junta for taking the military stage on Sunday, even as the country emerged from the earthquake that killed around 1,700 people.
The Karen National Union, one of Myanmar’s oldest ethnic forces, said in a statement that the junta “continues to airstrikes targeting civilian regions, even though the population is extremely suffering from earthquakes.”
The group said that under normal circumstances, the military prioritizes rescue operations, but instead focuses on “deploying troops to attack people.”
A spokesman for the administration did not reply to questions from Reuters about the criticism.
Myanmar has been trapped in civil war with multiple armed opposition groups since the 2021 coup, seized power from the elected government of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, whose military has been elected.
Shortly after the catastrophic earthquake on Friday, the military jet launched airstrikes and drone attacks in Karen Province, near KNU headquarters.
The epicenter of the 7.7 magnitude earthquake was located in an area owned by military forces, but devastation was widespread and affected areas held by armed resistance movements.
On Sunday, the opposition National Unified Government, including remnants of the government that was expelled in 2021, said the anti-Junta militia under its command would suspend all offensive military actions for two weeks.
Richard Horsey, senior Myanmar advisor at Crisis Group, said some anti-Junta forces have stopped attacks, but the battle continues elsewhere.
“The administration is also continuing to launch airstrikes, including affected areas. That needs to be stopped,” he said.
He added that the administration has not provided much visible support in the Quake-Hit region.
“Local firefighters, ambulance crews and community organizations are mobilised, but the military is usually mobilized to support such a crisis — nowhere to be seen,” Horse said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published by Syndicate Feed.)
