The United Nations human rights office has strongly criticized Myanmar’s military government for violating a temporary truce agreed upon by warring factions in the country’s ongoing civil war, Al Jazeera reports.
The ceasefire was declared following a devastating earthquake last month.
Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated on Friday that the military’s attacks on armed resistance groups are occurring at a time when “the sole focus should be on ensuring humanitarian aid gets to disaster zones.” The truce, intended to facilitate relief efforts after the March 28 earthquake that claimed over 3,600 lives, was scheduled to last until April 22.
Myanmar has been embroiled in a multi-sided conflict since the military, led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, seized power in a coup in 2021, overthrowing the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi.
Shamdasani reported that since the earthquake, “military forces have reportedly carried out over 120 attacks.” The UN rights office has determined that the majority of these attacks involved aerial and artillery strikes, “including in areas impacted by the earthquake,” according to Shamdasani.
Amidst the widespread devastation, Shamdasani urged the military to declare a full amnesty for all detainees imprisoned since February 2021, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint.
Despite the international criticism leveled against the military government, China has announced an emergency humanitarian assistance package of 1 billion yuan ($137m) to provide urgently needed food, medicines, and prefabricated homes.
China, a known supporter of the military government, has also dispatched over 30 rescue teams to Myanmar following the earthquake and provided approximately 1.5 million yuan ($205,000) in cash through the Chinese Red Cross.
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