Mizzima-Apr 8
Relief and rescue teams must obtain prior permission for operations, said Deputy Chief of the military regime, Lieutenant General Soe Win, during a meeting in Naypyidaw on 5 April, as the country grapples with widespread damage from the powerful 28 March earthquake. He stated that no relief teams would be allowed to operate independently and would have to seek prior approval from the junta. Furthermore, the Deputy Junta Chief stated that a policy must be implemented, requiring these associations to operate solely in cooperation with relevant officials. He also instructed regional and state chief ministers to permit aid and relief teams, as well as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), to operate in their respective areas only if they cooperate with the junta aid and relief teams. On 1 April, the junta army opened fire on a convoy of the Chinese Red Cross Society delivering relief supplies to earthquake victims in Ohnmati village, Nawnghkio Township.
Junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun said on 2 April that the group had not contacted the relevant embassies or the junta’s military attaches. He claimed junta forces fired three shots into the air when the convoy failed to stop at a security checkpoint. An Indian volunteer assisting with search and rescue efforts after the earthquake returned home on 3 April, citing an inability to continue providing relief in front of guns. According to the junta, emergency relief teams from 26 countries are currently working in collaboration with Myanmar’s relief teams to respond to the earthquake. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA Myanmar) announced on 5 April that the powerful earthquake that struck on 28 March impacted approximately 17 million people across nearly 60 of Myanmar’s 330 townships. Read more at: https://eng.mizzima.com/2025/04/08/21147
