Myanmar’s military government has prolonged a temporary ceasefire with rebel groups until April 30, aiming to facilitate relief and reconstruction efforts after a catastrophic earthquake last month, as reported by state media on Tuesday. Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who leads the 10-member ASEAN regional bloc, engaged in rare high-level discussions last week with junta leader Min Aung Hlaing and a significant resistance faction to halt the ongoing conflict and promote humanitarian assistance.
The 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck near Mandalay city late last month resulted in over 3,700 fatalities, devastated communities, and severely damaged infrastructure in the struggling Southeast Asian nation.
Since the military coup in 2021 that ousted the democratically elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar has been embroiled in conflict, leading to a widespread civil war.
According to state media, Min Aung Hlaing extended the initial 20-day ceasefire, which was declared by the junta on April 2.
